Framework
by Raine Ishida
Summary: Rinoa has been led into a crime ring. When she decides she wants out, crime boss Seifer has her killed and frames Squall for her death. Lawyer Quistis and Squall's best friend Zell have to try and prove his innocence. AU, minimal shounenai. Complete!
1. Prologue

**Framework**

For Matt and John.

**By Raine Ishida**

---

**Prologue **

Rinoa Heartilly dried her hands on the tea towel that hung from the handle of the fridge. She'd just finished washing the dishes from dinner, and now it was time to finish cleaning up and relax on the couch with a magazine, some tea, and maybe, some company. Irvine had called and said he was coming over that evening, so all she had to do was wait and see if he would. Sometimes he did, but sometimes he got caught up at work and ended up being late, so he'd just come over late in the night and spend the night there with her.

Sitting on the couch with a contented smile and her cup of tea, Rinoa glanced out the window for a moment before turning to her fashion magazine, which she wasn't overly interested in in the first place.

Around fifteen minutes later, she heard the key turning in the door and looked up to see Irvine walking in. "Hey gorgeous," he said with a smile, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and his car keys in the other. She smiled back and set her magazine down as he walked over to her and greeted her with a kiss.

"How was work?" she asked. He shrugged and dropped his keys on the table before shedding his coat and throwing it onto a chair across from them and settling onto the couch next to her. "It was work, it always is. But it's nice to be off at a decent hour for once, hey?" he asked with a small smile, putting a hand on her knee.

She nodded and drew up her legs so that one of them was tucked under her, and the other was across his lap. "Should we go anywhere tonight?" she asked, snuggling against his chest. "I kinda want to stay in," she suggested. He nodded, wrapping an arm around her. "TV?" he asked. She nodded in reply and reached behind her for the remote. "Something's on tonight, it's a Wednesday."

"So like…garbage, right?" he joked as she passed the remote to him. "Yeah, pretty much," she said, reaching for her tea. Irvine kissed the side of her head and smiled, breathing deeply. "You smell good, Rinny."

"You always say that," she said with a grin, glancing at him from the side. He shrugged. "You always do. Can I help it if I missed you today?" he asked, playing with her messy braid. She returned to her spot against his chest and settled to watch whatever he'd chosen on TV.

When she woke up, she was in her bed. The blinds were half closed, the apartment was quiet, and Irvine was breathing softly next to her. It wasn't often that she woke up in bed with him there and her not knowing about it, but it was likely that she had fallen asleep while watching TV and he'd carried her to her room.

Sighing and turning onto her side, she draped an arm across his broad chest and went back to sleep.

--

She woke up half an hour before her alarm went off, set to his wake up time. He was already awake, watching her with a half smile on his face. She blinked, slightly startled to see him awake, but smiled in return. "Hey," she said quietly, shifting under the covers. Her arm was still across his chest, but his hand was up on her arm, as if to hold it there. "Mornin'," he said, pulling her closer. It was mornings like these that Rinoa wanted to treasure forever. There was no reason for her to be up, nor was there any reason for him to be up. In fact, it was just after six in the morning. The rest of the city was asleep for another hour or so.

She settled against his chest, drawing her leg up across his, her arm still across his chest as she sighed. "Sleep…" she muttered. He grinned. "I can't sleep. I've been awake for an hour now."

She opened her eyes and looked up at him, frowning. "So you laid awake and stared at me the entire time?" He nodded with a half smile. She shook her head and sat up, stretching noisily. He watched her get out of bed and walk to the bathroom, and he watched her as she came back, amused by the sweatpants and long sleeved shirt she'd worn as pajamas. She would have gotten mad to awaken and find him redressing her in her pajamas, so he'd left her in what she'd fallen asleep in on the couch the previous night. When she cuddled up next to him again, he smirked. She smelled like mint. She'd brushed her teeth. "So what have you been thinking about for an hour, Mr. Kinneas?" she asked softly, staring up at him. He sat up, leaning on her headboard as he contemplated her question.

"Thinking why on earth are you sleeping when there are much more productive things to do while awake."

She grinned and smacked his arm. "You're perverted. Do you always think about sex?"

He shrugged and then his face exploded in a grin. "Yep."

Rinoa laughed and sat up, turning around so she faced him where he sat against the headboard. "I guess we're up now, eh?" she asked, glancing at the clock, which read 6:07am.

"Guess so. You did fall asleep on me around ten," he said with a shrug. He leaned forward and reached for her, pulling her against his chest. The hand that wasn't around her waist, resting on the small of her back, was in her hair. He kissed her softly, then deeply. She smiled when she pulled away. "And what do you think you're doing?"

He smirked. "We have half an hour until anything work-related needs to happen…don't kill the moment," he suggested, kissing her again. "Besides," he said during a pause. "You brushed your teeth. It's like you're inviting me to kiss you in your delicious mintiness."

She had to admit that he was right. She'd known this would happen, so she'd brushed her teeth. It wasn't pleasant kissing someone with morning breath.

The next time Rinoa looked at the clock, it was 6:34am, and she had to go have a shower. Pulling herself out of Irvine's grip, she headed into her closet to select her clothes for that day. He stood and followed her, his shirt open as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed the back of her neck. "Don't go yet…I was just starting to enjoy myself."

She grinned and turned to him, putting one arm around his neck while the other arm held her change of clothes. "I need to shower. I can't show up to work all gross, can I?"

"I think your grossness is quite nice," he said, leaning to kiss her neck. She pulled away and headed into her bathroom. He followed her like a puppy and watched her in the doorway while she pulled various items out of the drawer. Deodorant, perfume, powder, a few pieces of makeup. She set them all on the counter next to her clean clothes and glanced at him. "Well? You gonna give me some space?"

He grinned and walked off for a moment to make her bed. When he returned, she was running the water, standing in only her bra and underwear.

Standing up, she put a hand on her bare hip. "Well? I'm trying to have a shower here."

"Can I come, too?" he asked, having sauntered up to her and nuzzled his face against her ear. She smirked. "You know how distracting you are when I shower? I don't recommend it. We'll both run late."

"Please?" he begged. She kissed him and shook her head. "Not today."

He sighed dejectedly, but then offered a suggestive grin. "Well, I guess that means you get to pay me back later then." He kissed her forehead. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Coffee. Lots of coffee," she said, stepping into the shower as he walked out of the room.

Irvine just kept smiling as he turned the coffee pot on. His cell phone, which sat on the coffee table, began to vibrate, buzzing across the table until it fell off. He frowned. Who was calling at quarter to seven in the morning? He picked up.

"H'lo?" he asked.

"You coming in early today or what, Kinneas?" A woman's voice.

Irvine frowned. "I don't even get my coffee today?"

"Hurry up. The boss is ticked that you're not here yet."

Irvine sighed. "I'll be there soon enough." He hung up the phone and went back to the bathroom. "Well, Rin, I just got called in early."

"No kidding," she said, her voice echoing on the walls of the shower. She poked her head out from behind the shower curtain. "Are you leaving now?" she asked, water dripping off of her nose. He shrugged. "Guess so. I'll be by later tonight, you up for it?"

"We could go somewhere tonight since we stayed in last night," she suggested. He nodded and kissed her wet lips. "Think about somewhere to go and we'll talk tonight, ok?" She nodded and returned her head behind the curtain. Irvine let himself out and locked the door behind him, sighing as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. He hated being called in early. He hated his time with Rinoa being interrupted. He hated…his job.

--

Ring ring! Ring ring!

"Hello?" Rinoa asked casually, stirring the soup as she answered the phone.

"Hello, is this Miss Rinoa Heartilly?" a male voice on the other end asked.

"Yes, who's calling?" she asked. The voice paused for a moment.

"I work with your boyfriend, actually." The voice was smooth. It made her feel at ease. She smiled faintly. "Oh, do you? So I assume you're calling because he told you to?"

"No, actually. I'm calling because I wanted to. I got your number from him and wanted to talk to you myself."

"Why's that?"

"I like to be acquainted with those I have an interest in killing."

Rinoa was silent. "…that's not funny." She put the spoon down and glanced around nervously. "Okay, who is this really?"

"I told you, Rinoa. I work with Irvine. Actually, I'm his boss."

"Why would he need his boss to be calling me?" she asked with a frown.

The male chuckled and sighed. "I like to know when my hitmen have significant others. If they get involved or happen to find out about their lover's secret life, things could get messy for them and me. That having been said, you're dating a hit man. Now that you know that, and now that I know about you, you have two choices."

Rinoa sat on the kitchen floor and tried to still her shaking hands. This wasn't funny anymore.

"Irvine's a hit man?" she managed to choke out. This had to be a prank.

"Yes. Shocking, isn't it? Who knew that a loser like him could actually kill people for money. Because he kills people, he can then afford to take you out for dinner. Or buy you that lovely necklace you're wearing…"

Rinoa's hand went to her neck to cover the necklace and the voice chuckled.

"When lover boy comes home, you'll no doubt talk to him. You need to tell him that I called, which I can guarantee you will, and you'll tell him that I've given you two options, and they are as such: You'll join our ring, or you'll die."

Rinoa swallowed, unable to rid herself of the lump in her throat.

"I'm…I'm sorry?" she whispered.

"You heard me, princess. Think about it." The click on the end of the line signaled that the call was over. Rinoa remained on the cold tile floor, trembling.

A creepy man with no name and only a smooth voice had threatened to kill her if she didn't join Irvine's crazy secret job? He was a hit man? Irvine? He wouldn't kill the spiders he found in her apartment!

Setting the phone down on the tile, Rinoa leaned back against the fridge and focused on getting her breathing back to normal. She had to talk to Irvine, and she had to talk to him now.

--

"Rin? Baby, I'm home!" Irvine called, opening the front door with his key. He had a rose in one hand, and his keys and a bag of bread from the bakery in the other. The apartment smelled like soup had been cooking all afternoon. He loved these days. She must have gotten off work early. When Rinoa cooked all afternoon, it meant it was going to be amazing, not that her cooking wasn't always better than the frozen dinners he usually served himself.

"Baby?" he called, setting the bread on the counter and his keys on the table where they usually went. "Rin…?" He walked into the bedroom. She wasn't in there, or in her closet either.

"Rin?" She was in the bathroom. Sitting on the lip of the bathtub, Rinoa looked up at him with terrified eyes. "You're back," she said quietly.

He reached for her and pulled her up gently. "Rin, are you okay?" he asked, looking down at her with concern.

She forced a smile and glanced up. "Yeah, I'm great," she answered blankly and left his grip to return to the kitchen.

"Thanks for the bread," she called. Irvine frowned. What was going on? He followed her into the next room to the kitchen.

"Rinoa, you're…acting a little weird, are you okay?"

She stopped stirring the soup and pursed her lips before continuing. "I guess I would be if your boss hadn't called and threatened to kill me today."

Irvine blinked, temporarily frozen. "What?"

"Your boss. He doesn't have a name, or so he didn't tell me…but he called me and told me he worked with you. Apparently you're a hit man? Is this some crazy joke? Please tell me it was just a prank…"

Irvine's eyes could hide no lies and Rinoa's expression fell as he bit his lip. "I can't believe he called you without telling me first…" he said quietly. Rinoa's eyelashes were wet with tears.

"So you…are…really…"

"A hit man," he finished with a half-smile. "Yeah. It's not like I enjoy it, Rin, but…"

"But nothing!" she cried. "You kill people for money?"

Irvine approached her, and Rinoa grabbed the bread knife, holding it out for protection. Irvine backed away, but only slightly. What harm could a bread knife do to him? He was almost amused, but feared laughing. Not when she looked like this.

"Rinny, please listen to me…"

She didn't put the knife down, but she appeared to be listening.

Irvine continued. "I had no choice. I was pulled in by someone else…and they have a rule- Once you know about it, you have to join or they'll kill you. I'm trapped, Rin. And…it's my fault that I've gotten you into this."

Rinoa nodded. "You think? I don't want to join a crime ring, Irvine."

Irvine sighed. "I realize that. But…I'm sorry, Rinny. You don't have much of a choice, I guess. I didn't…they killed a couple of friends of mine when they said no…so they're not kidding around. I wish I could tell you differently…"

Rinoa softened and lowered the knife. "Have you ever had to kill someone you knew?"

"Not yet….and I'm thankful." He lowered his gaze to the ground. "There are times…when I can't believe it's real. Sometimes I want out of it, you know? The only way…is to kill myself," he said quietly. Rinoa put the knife down and walked to him. She hesitated before she put her hands on his arms. He met her gaze with sad eyes. "I didn't want you to find out…I didn't want to bring you into this."

"What's your boss's name?" she asked softly.

"His name…you'll probably recognize it. He's a businessman."

"So? I'm not going to turn him in. I'm thinking he's smarter than he lets on…and will know if anything happens. I'm not about to get you or me killed, Irv." Her voice was soft, and her eyes trusting. Irvine didn't know what he'd done to deserve her, but he knew that he hadn't returned the favor by inviting her into the crime ring.

"Seifer Almasy."

--

Rinoa was surprised at how easily she was able to quit her job at the bookstore. They took it well. Apparently a Xu Huang, secretary of Almasy, Inc. had called and told them that Rinoa would no longer be needed, as she had been hired for a position in their company.

Sure.

Xu Huang was a petite Chinese woman, in her mid twenties, with chin length black hair and a pretty smile. She only smiled once and conducted Rinoa's short tour with anything less than a chagrin expression. Xu wore a simple skirt and blazer, paired with high heeled shoes which looked uncomfortable. When the two young women reached Seifer's door after the tour, Xu buzzed the intercom outside the door to which a voice said "Come in, Xu."

She opened the door and led Rinoa inside. Once the ladies were inside, Seifer nodded at Xu. "Thanks. You can go now," he said, dismissing her. Xu nodded and closed the door behind her. Rinoa could swear she saw a hint of disappointment, or possibly malcontent in Xu's eyes as she left. Maybe not. Perhaps she was just having a bad day.

Seifer rose and extended his hand to shake Rinoa's. He offered her the chair in front of his desk. "Please, Miss Heartilly. Sit."

He was as handsome as the newspapers and rumors suggested. He was tall and tanned, wore a dark suit with a blue tie, and his short gold-blonde hair was brushed back, with a few pieces falling onto his forehead. His green eyes sparkled as he sent her a charming smile. No wonder he had the ladies reeling.

"So, I'm sure you and Mr. Kinneas had an animated conversation after our phone call the other day. I didn't figure you'd reply so quickly. I'm almost impressed."

His hands were folded in front of him on his desk and he continued to smile that eerie smile.

Rinoa kept her fingers clasped in her lap to keep them from shaking.

"Well, you gave me little option," she replied. Seifer smirked and brushed the side of his nose with one finger, as if to cure an itch.

"I'm sure you're wondering what I'll have you doing here."

"There's little to wonder about," Rinoa said softly. Seifer smirked again and rose, facing the large open window behind him. "Actually, I prefer it if the women weren't the ones to go out on kills. I find it bruises their mentality. I need the women sharp for what work I give to them. You see, the women are in charge of the paperwork, as well as covering up the tracks of my hit men. Erasing their pasts, giving them new lives, new identities… You may have already guessed, but Irvine Kinneas isn't who he says he is. That name was given to him as soon as he joined us here."

Rinoa's heart sank. How many lies were going to be uncovered just today?

"Fear not, Miss Heartilly. You're not going to have your name changed. The women usually don't. I'll have a desk assigned to you, and one of the other women will train you for the next few weeks. You'll learn to like it here, I'm sure. The wages are good…I always pay my people well. I'm sure…you took notice of that," he said. Rinoa had to agree. Irvine had a great car, and when he took her out, they always went somewhere nice.

Seifer returned to his desk and sat down. Placing his hands firmly on the desk, he looked into Rinoa's eyes. "Remember, Rinoa: You're not to speak of this to anyone! We have an agreement, don't we?"

Rinoa nodded, her gut tightening deep within her. She wanted to smack that smile right off his face. Perhaps she'd learn a few things from Irvine and take her own 'kill', and murder the boss. Sure, that would help the situation.

She sighed. How had her life gone from simple and happy to this?

--


	2. Chapter One

**Framework**

Note: I just want to say thanks for such a positive response. Really, it's made…my days. Honestly, guys, thanks so much for reading. I hope you keep reading…and enjoy it.

**Chapter One**

--

_I never thought that it would happen this way. I always figured I would go peacefully, maybe one night as I was sleeping, after living a long life, happily married with a few kids to call my own, maybe a house and some pets or something. But isn't that how everyone wishes to live their lives? Maybe. Maybe not. Unfortunately for me, I didn't get to complete my dream. My dream was cut short. My dream…wasn't even imagined yet, as in a stupid spur-of-the-moment decision, I decided my fate. _

_Fate is cruel, you know. In fact, it's so cruel that somehow, I ended up dead through all of this. _

_The thing that was so funny…was that I was actually starting to fall in love with him…_

--

Selphie Tilmitt rang through the tall latte at the till and handed the change to the customer. "Thank you, have a good day!"

Receiving usual customer courtesy from New Yorkers, the customer just glared and stormed out of the shop, a chip on their shoulders. Selphie huffed. "You know, Nida…I try so hard to please people and be nice to them, but they're always so mean!"

Nida chuckled from where he stood on the other side of the counter, wiping up a mess that someone had made after spilling their coffee. He had coffee stains on his apron, and his shoes were leaving footprints in his freshly-mopped area, complete with a "Caution: Wet Floor" sign.

Selphie sighed. "Do you even care?" she asked. Nida shrugged and walked to the back of the store to return the mop to the cleaning cupboard before returning to his place behind the counter at the second till.

A woman with big, bat combed hair and Coke-bottle glasses walked up with a bottle of chai tea. She pushed her glasses back up her nose and grinned a toothy grin at Selphie, who met her with a similar grin. "Hey, Raine! How are you this morning?"

The woman nodded, her headband doing nothing for her as it had no power in keeping bits of frizzy hair out of her face. "Well, you know how it is working in such a dark, evil city! The spirits tell me all kinds of things that happen…and there seems like so little we can do about it. Do you know what I mean, young one?"

Selphie smiled and nodded. Raine…was an odd one. But, she had to remember, this was New York. Everyone was different…and some more than others.

Raine reached across the counter for Selphie's palm. "You know what I see for you today, Selphie? Good fortune. Prosperity. Happiness."

"Just today?" Selphie asked, wrinkling her nose. "How about a boyfriend and lots of money?"

Raine chuckled and shook her head, reaching into her beaded bag for some coins to pay for her tea. "Here you go, my sweet child. You have a blessed day, won't you?"

Selphie nodded, taking Raine's money and handing her the change. "I'll be waiting for that boyfriend," she joked. Raine nodded with a chuckle and headed out the door, nearly slipping on the wet patch that Nida had just mopped.

With a sigh, Selphie returned to her other customers. It might be a long day, but at least she'd been promised happiness and good fortune for that day.

--

Irvine Kinneas tucked a stray hair behind his ear as he opened the door to Rinoa's apartment.

He dropped his keys on the counter and shed his coat on the couch. "Rin?" he called. "Rin, are you home?" He hadn't slept over last night, so he really didn't know if she was home. She could have gone to work early- With her job, he never knew. Xu had been working her pretty hard lately. It may have had something to do with Rinoa's latest attitude switch, which had gone from repressive and cooperative to harsh and aggressive. Something to do with not liking her job, Irvine supposed with an ironic smirk.

The apartment was small, one bedroom and a small living room with an attached kitchen. For New York, she had a pretty spacious place for what she was paying- an arm and a leg.

Irvine headed to the bedroom, knowing that if she was still sleeping, considering it was almost 10am, she'd be in her bed. When he opened the door, he was met with a shocking sight. Facedown in her bed, Rinoa was sprawled, covered in her own blood.

Feeling sick, Irvine stumbled back out of the room and raced for the phone.

--

It was past noon and the coffee lunch rush had passed. It was between one and two that few people came to the shop, and Selphie and Nida made the most of their time playing Triple Triad behind the counter. Selphie rarely won, but she kept reminding Nida of what Raine had said that morning.

"Prosperity and good fortune, Nida! Remember that! I'm gonna whoop you good today!"

Nida grinned. "Don't you always say that?" he asked, hiding his grin behind his hand of cards.

Selphie shook her head and sighed. "It's your move," she said.

Nida glanced over his deck for a moment. "So…I noticed you have a couple of books in your bag today. Did you go shopping again?"

"Booyaka, I did!" she cried, her face falling as she looked at the Grat Card Nida had put down.

"I was walking past the bookstore on the way here…and I noticed that my favorite author in the entire _world_, Ryan Heart, had a new book out! I had to buy it, of course."

"I guess that goes without saying," Nida replied, setting down a card to conquer Selphie's Bomb.

The bells above the door rang as a customer entered the store. Selphie looked up and saw someone she hadn't seen in awhile. "Hey, Squall! Where have you been lately?"

He shrugged, filling his coffee cup from the self-serve part of the store. "I've been around…I guess I haven't needed my usual caffeine bursts."

"Well, it sucks not seeing you as much! You can't even drop by to say hey once in awhile?" she asked. He shrugged again with a partial-smile. "Maybe I could."

He paid for his coffee. "Anyway, Selphie…you take care. I'll see you later."

She waved as he exited, and glanced back at Nida who had his eyebrow raised. "Wanna tell me what that was about?" he asked. Selphie grinned, blushing slightly.

"I don't know, actually. I feel kinda like I know him from somewhere…but I don't know where. He's always so nice to me when he comes in."

"Ask him out," Nida suggested, setting a card down. Selphie stuck her tongue out, setting down a Behemoth card, one she'd been saving to kick his butt at the last minute with, and giggled. "I'm totally interested in someone else, Ni-duh!"

Nida rolled his eyes at her silly nickname for him and folded his deck. "We've got work to do, y'think?"

"What, all the customers?" she joked, glancing at the nearly empty store. It was a Wednesday afternoon. People didn't need coffee on Wednesdays.

"Whatever," he replied, wrinkling his nose as he pulled out a cloth to wipe the counters with.

"You're starting to sound like Squall," Selphie chided, walking happily over to the glass door to wipe the fingerprints from it. Nida just chuckled.

--

_I can't handle it anymore. My mother taught me to be strong, and for the longest time I thought I was. I suppose I was wrong, and ended up living a lie. Tell Dad I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disappoint him, I just couldn't do it anymore. Life…is just too hard.. I'm sorry._

_Love, _

_Rinoa _

--

Edea Kramer shook her head with a sigh as she examined the body on the bed. "Well, well…this is quite something we have here. This definitely wasn't suicide, despite the note," she said quietly, tucking a stray hair that had escaped behind her ear. Her long, black braid lay gently on her back as pieces of stray hair kept falling into her eyes, restricting her vision. Her gloved hands gently looked over the dead body as she worked, her dark eyes fascinated with what she looked at.

She glanced up at the coroner, her husband Cid, and smirked. "Well, what are you thinking?"

"I'll know more when we get her back to the morgue, but based on that imprint on her skull…I'm thinking blunt force trauma." The older man shrugged his shoulders and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, his English accent stringing his words together intelligently. Some of the others saw him as a bit of a quack, but they all knew that Edea held him in highest regard.

"Good eye," Edea replied, pressing her dark red lips together. "You guys get her off to the morgue, I'm going to stay here and collect some evidence with the guys."

Cid nodded and together, he and the other crime scene investigators got Rinoa's dead body onto a gurney and into a body bag for her trip to the New York City Morgue.

--

"Squall Leonhart? He'd never hurt a fly!" The woman was older, the landlord of the apartment complex that Squall Leonhart was living in.

Edea Kramer shrugged as her companion, a uniformed police officer explained. "I'm sorry, but his fingerprints have been found in the victim's apartment. We have a warrant for his arrest. We need to get him down to the station for our investigation."

The woman stood aside and shrugged. "I just don't want any trouble. He's a good kid, that's all I've gotta say," she muttered as Edea and the officer stepped past.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Edea offered before continuing down the hallway.

--

"Excuse me?" Squall asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's this all about?"

"We have a warrant for your arrest, Mr. Leonhart. Please step outside and don't cause any trouble. We don't want to make this difficult." Edea stood at Squall's door, her hands behind her back as the officer behind her stood silently with a firm expression.

"But…why are you arresting me?" Squall asked. "I have a right to know, don't I?"

"Your fingerprints were found at the scene of a murder."

"A murder?!" he cried. "Whose?"

"Rinoa Heartilly. You might remember her."

Squall blanched. "Rinoa's…dead?"

"As if you didn't know," the officer said, forcing the door open. "Come with us and this will make everything work out smoothly."

"Read him his rights," Edea reminded. The cop was sort of a head case. All brawn, no brains. She didn't like working with him, but he was the muscle where she needed it.

The officer began to list off Squall's rights, and when he spoke about his right to an attorney, Squall's eyes grew dark. "Believe me, I'll be getting one…"

--

Quistis Trepe was a lawyer from Chicago. She wore her hair tied back in a tight bun, with an expression that spoke worlds about her personality: Ice Queen. With her serious manner and angry pout, complete with perfectly shaped eyebrows and icy blue eyes that pierced without trying, Quistis Trepe was a defense attorney that brought fear into the hearts of men, usually the ones she was defending.

She'd lost one case in her life, and since that time, her personality had slowly seeped from her. Her demeanor grew more serious, her glares more threatening. She seemed to care nothing for anything else other than bringing the truth of her clients to light.

She was highly sought after, and charged a lot. Fortunately for Squall, he had an unusually high amount of money with which he could afford to have such a good lawyer.

She sat next to him in a cold metal chair in the interrogation room.

Squall sat with his hands in front of him, dangling as his elbows rested on his thighs. He leaned over, his back curved and his head learned forward so he looked at the ground. He had the position of a guilty man.

Edea held out the evidence she had so far on him.

"Let me get this straight, Mr. Leonhart: You and Miss Heartilly dated for awhile, but then you broke up. What happened there?"

Squall raised an eyebrow. "What usually happens when people break up?"

"That doesn't answer my question, Mr. Leonhart."

"We had our differences. We weren't getting along anymore," he said, his gray eyes glaring at Edea across the table.

Quistis had already explained to Squall that he didn't have to answer any question he wasn't comfortable with answering. She was there to find the truth. He had to be careful how he worded his answers. Without discussing everything with her, he could make an error that could cost him his freedom.

"Did you know of Miss Heartilly's relationship with an Irvine Kinneas?" Edea asked.

Squall frowned. "Not really. I assumed she had a new boyfriend. She's…not really the type to stay single for long," he muttered. Hurt flashed through his eyes but he shook his head to clear his mind. He had other things to worry about now. Like how to clear his name. This was the last thing he needed.

"So you hadn't seen Miss Heartilly in how long?" Edea asked. Squall shrugged. "Probably not since…last week. I went to her apartment to give her back some of her stuff. That's probably where the fingerprints were from," he said quietly.

"But if I'm not mistaken, you've been broken up for awhile," Edea commented. Squall lifted his head and looked at her with a frown. "You find stuff that was left behind when you break up with someone," he said softly.

"I see," Edea replied. "Do you have an alibi for last night, between twelve midnight and three AM?"

"I was in bed," he muttered.

"Can anyone verify that?"

"No," Squall said. Were his cheeks flushed? Edea made a mental note to herself. _He answered that quickly…_

"Well, Mr. Leonhart, we'll be sure to get back to you. Until then, you're going to have to remain in custody-"

"But I didn't do anything!" he protested. Quistis shook her head at him as if to say 'Don't speak.'

Edea shook her head in return. "We have an investigation to run, Mr. Leonhart. Be cooperative and this will be easier on all of us."

"I want my phone call," Squall muttered.

--


	3. Chapter Two

**Framework**

I just want to say thanks for all the positive feedback I've received. You all rock. Srsly.

**Chapter Two**

"Man, work really sucked today," Zell muttered, using his index finger to push his glasses back up on his nose. He opened the door to the coffee shop and reached into his pocket for some money.

Trotting to the back of the store where the pop machine was, he waved at Selphie who looked up at him when he entered the store. "Oh, hi Zell!" she cried sweetly. He grinned at her and selected the largest size cup for his caffeine fix.

When he'd filled up his cup, he walked to the register to pay for it. Selphie grinned at him. "How are you, Zell? How was work today?"

"Meh, it wasn't…the best. Y'know how it is with work n' all," he said with a smile, scratching the back of his head. He fiddled through the change in his pockets. "How's work going for you?"

"It's kinda slow today, actually," she replied. "Slow enough to make Nida do all of the work!" she added with a giggle. Nida rolled his eyes from the other side of the counter where he was restocking bags of potato chips.

Zell nodded nervously and handed Selphie his money. "I've still got a lot of stuff to do, though. So…have a good day, Selphie! See ya!" He flashed her a grin and left the store. As he opened the door, he didn't notice as a young man with a ponytail was entering. Zell just barely missed crashing into him and spilling his hard-earned caffeine. The pony tailed man frowned. "Hey, watch it, kid!"

"Sorry!" Zell said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head before jogging off down the street.

Selphie sighed with a smile on her face, her eyes glazed over for a moment before the man cleared his throat.

"Uh…excuse me?" he asked, bringing Selphie back from dreamland.

The cheerful brunette's cheeks flushed profusely. "Oh, sorry! What can I get for you?"

--

Zell unlocked the door to his overheated apartment and set his keys down on the table next to the door. Shutting the door behind him, he put his pop cup down next to his computer and shed his jacket onto the floor.

"Let's see what we can dig up today," he said with a grin. The door was locked when he got there, so that meant his roommate, Laguna Loire, wasn't home. Laguna may have been twice his age, but he was a great roommate. He was an equal computer geek and didn't mind the apartment being twenty degrees higher than comfortable due to the large number of computers which generated said heat. Laguna also didn't seem to have any problems with Zell's other interests, like his loud music and strange addiction to caffeine.

Zell sat down in front of one of his six computer monitors and began typing furiously. He was hard at work for nearly half an hour, his caffeine fix almost gone, when his cell phone chirped from across the room. He rose to pick it up and frowned at the number. "Private?" he muttered. Oh well. Might as well answer it.

"Hello?"

"Zell? Oh, thank goodness you picked up." The voice was breathy. Relieved.

"Squall?" Zell asked, raising an eyebrow. "Where are you calling from?"

"Sit down, would you?"

"Why?"

"Just do it," Squall said softly. Zell shrugged and leaned against a wall. "I'm sitting."

"I'm in jail," the brunette murmured.

"You're what?!" Zell cried, sliding against the wall to the floor. "Why are you in jail, man?!"

"They think I killed Rinoa…" Zell heard Squall draw in a shaky breath. "I don't have an alibi for last night."   
Zell frowned. "Well, did you tell them…" Squall cut him off, disregarding what Zell was about to say.

"I haven't seen her since last week, when I took her stuff back."

Zell paused. It hadn't hit him until just now. "Wait, what? Rinoa's dead?"

"They found her in her apartment this morning. She was hit with something and I guess she bled out."

"So how do they have you for murder, man?" Zell's free hand was tangled in his hair.

"They assume it was me…that I killed her in a jealous rage or something. She had a new boyfriend. My fingerprints were in her apartment, which…you know, makes sense."

"That's so lame…Do you have a lawyer?"

"Yeah. Her name's Quistis Trepe, she came in from Chicago."

"Woah. She's gotta be expensive then."

"Well…I'm not really worried about that at the moment, Zell."

"Squall, man…why didn't you call me sooner?" he asked. The concern in the blonde's voice made Squall smile faintly. At least someone was still on his side. But he knew Zell would always be.

"I couldn't. They…were questioning me, and I have to sit in this holding cell…Zell, get me out of here." Zell's heart ached. Squall, ever the leader of his friends, sounded so frail.

"What can I do, man? I'm not…important or anything!"

"I don't know…find out what you can…I'm innocent. I didn't do this. I cared about her, I wouldn't kill her."

Zell smiled softly. Even though things were over between Squall and Rinoa, Zell knew she'd always have a place in his heart, even if Squall's feelings were occupied by someone else.

But wasn't that how everyone was? He knew Squall wasn't capable of murder. The man who'd just become a little less of a lone wolf had no intention or desire to actually kill someone.

"I know you wouldn't," Zell replied. Squall's breathing was heavy on the other end of the phone. He was panicking. Zell's eyebrows furrowed. He had to say something encouraging. "Hey, relax man. You're innocent. We'll get you out, okay? Just…give me some time."

"…I'm counting on you, Zell."

---

Long hair fell over his eyes, obstructing his vision as he tried to see the door handle to unlock it. With a groan, Laguna Loire fiddled with his keys and ended up dropping them on the ground.

"It's open!" he heard Zell call from inside. Rolling his eyes, the older man opened the door and kicked the keys inside. "Hey. You could have told me sooner," Laguna said with a bemused expression.

Zell shrugged, his face lit up from the light of the monitors, blinding his eyes and reflecting off his glasses, giving him the appearance of being without eyes behind the frames.

"Find anything good today?" Laguna asked, taking off his jacket and throwing it over the back of a chair at the kitchen table. He wandered to the fridge and pulled out a box of half-eaten cold pizza. Shrugging and taking a remaining slice, he put it in his mouth and let it hang while he replaced the box into the fridge. Grabbing a can of carbonated something-or-other, he joined Zell at his workstation, sitting in a chair next to the younger man.

Laguna Loire was Squall's father. Now, while it was a little weird being roommates with his best friend's father, Zell didn't mind so much. The man was as much a geek as he was, and he didn't make a mess like Squall would if they lived together.

Zell didn't look at Laguna when he spoke. "Squall called."

"Hm," Laguna replied, looking at the screen and trying to make out something legible from the information Zell had collected. It wasn't exactly thrilling or new news that Squall had called. Squall always called. But never to talk to him. Laguna and Squall…didn't really talk.

"He's in jail."

Now Laguna was listening. "What?" he asked, taking his glasses off. "What for?"

"He's being framed for Rinoa's murder."

"Rinoa…oh, man. I saw that on the news this morning and didn't even think about it…" Laguna ran his hands through his hair as worry creased his brows.

"How is he being framed?"

Zell shrugged. "That's why I need you to help me here, man. We need to get him out!"

"Did he get a lawyer?"

"Yeah. Trepe. She's from Chicago."

"Trepe…" Laguna's eyes lit up. "Quistis Trepe? She's a firecracker, that one. Never loses a case. Pretty, too."

Zell smirked. Because looks matter in a lawyer.

"Hey, sometimes looks matter in a lawyer! Ever seen an pretty lawyer lose a case?" Laguna finished, stealing his thought. Zell shook his head. "We've been roommates too long," he muttered. "Now help me."

Laguna cracked his fingers and pulled a keyboard onto his lap. "Okay, well…Rinoa had to have been offed for a reason. Who was after her?"

Zell bit his lip. "Where did she work? Did she have enemies?"

"Rinoa, Rinoa…" Laguna searched in silence for a moment. "She worked for Almasy, Inc." He paused. "That's huge… They're a huge firm, man."

"Problems within the company?" Zell asked with a shrug. "Sleeping with the boss? Jealous wife had her killed?"

Laguna shook his head in an effort to silence his friend. Moments later, he let out a gasp of triumph. "Found something. Says they're…top secret or something. The organization behind Almasy, Inc…it's not insurance, Zell, my man."

"What is it?" Zell asked, turning to the monitor Laguna was facing. Laguna forwarded the image onto the bigger plasma screen they had set up on the wall.

"Almasy, Inc. Secret association…of organized crime." The excitement of how 'cool' his find was brimmed through Laguna's voice.

"Hitmen," Zell whispered.

--

Cid Kramer looked over the corpse on his table and sighed. "What a way to go, my dear. I apologize that it had to end this way with you so young."

Edea walked into the morgue and smiled. "Hey," she greeted. He winked at her. "Good afternoon, my love. I hear your suspect cooperated."

She smirked and shrugged, sidling up to her husband and putting an arm around his waist. "It took some convincing, but he's cooperating now. He has a lawyer, and he's in custody."

"For now. He'll get a good lawyer. Besides, I'm not too confident it was him who did it," Cid suggested, walking over to Rinoa's body, covered from the neck down with a sheet.

"Her initial head wound was much lower than one might expect had the blow come from someone who is, say, male, with the upper hand."

"What do you mean?" Edea asked, leaning towards where Cid pointed. "The blow came from lower or equal height, suggesting that our victim was hit by someone shorter, or just about the same height as she was. You said Mr. Leonhart is what, five foot ten inches?"

"Around there, yes," Edea concluded with a firm nod. Cid drew in a breath of frustration.

"Well then, my dear, I'd say it's almost impossible that the death blow came from him."

--

"Rinoa Heartilly, secretary for Almasy, Incorporated… Specializes in identification distribution and organization. Handles identities for all marksmen," Zell read to himself. Laguna frowned. "Say what?"

"Rin gives the hitmen their new IDs, I guess," Zell said. Laguna raised an eyebrow and whistled. "Woah, that's heavy stuff. So…you're saying that people we know could be completely different people in real life?"

"Guess so," Zell said with a shrug. "I'm gonna keep researching. I never knew she was into this kinda stuff…" he said. Laguna shook his head. "She wasn't…Which is why this is so hard to figure out."

Zell heard Laguna mutter more to himself, but he wasn't listening. His main focus right now was getting the information that would prove Squall's innocence.

--


	4. Chapter Three

**Framework **

Author's Note: I just want you to know how much fun I'm having writing an AU story, something I've never attempted before. It's totally fun. Anyway. Thanks for the support, guys. I really appreciate it. Thanks for reading. Leave a review if you could, too, please.

**Chapter Three **

Selphie was run off her feet. She swore that if she had to make another cup of coffee for someone who didn't say thank-you, she was going to scream. Either that or pour said coffee on the customer's head. Or lap. Whatever worked.

Her usuals had been there earlier that morning, and they'd all been as polite as usual, not to mention leaving her a substantially bigger tip. It was people like that who were at least…decent, whom she appreciated. Another she appreciated was Laguna Loire. He was a tipper. A big tipper. And he wasn't too hard on the eyes, either. Selphie hadn't seen him at all that day, which was very unlike him. Laguna was in every morning at 9:30am sharp to get his coffee on his way to work. And…unlike her usual customers, Laguna was regular. Like, to-the-second kind of regular.

Sighing for a moment, Selphie paused while she thought of these things, coming up with insanely absurd reasons as to why Laguna may not have come in that morning. Once she'd convinced herself that he'd been eaten by a pack of rabid vermin, she continued wiping the table solemnly, mourning the loss of a favorite customer.

Nida walked by and slyly whispered to her, "Your boyfriend's here."

She looked up with fire in her eyes to find Zell opening the door. Her spirits dampened a little, but she was still happy to see him. Squall was who she'd been expecting. That was whom Nida joked about, wasn't it? It was Squall that Selphie adored! Though she wouldn't deny her pounding heartbeat once Zell walked inside.

"Hey Selphie," he said, trotting over to her with his hands in his pockets. "How's it going?"

"Well, it's raining in my world," she said with a sigh as she followed Zell to the counter where he filled up a new cup of 'caffeine'"

"Oh?" he asked, amused by her depressing statement. "That's not like you," he added.

"Well, my favorite - well, not my favorite, because I have a lot of favorites, like you," she rambled. "One of my favorite customers hasn't been in today. He's so regular that I'm worried something happened to him."

"Yeah? Maybe he just got held up somewhere or something like that," Zell concluded. "It's not like a pack of wild rats came up and ate him."

Selphie's jaw dropped. "You know, I was thinking the exact same thing! That's soooo weird!"

Zell just chuckled. "Who is it? Maybe I've seen him."

"His name's Laguna -" Selphie started.

"Wait, Laguna? That's my roommate."

"Really? But he's like…older than you." The girl's nose was wrinkled.

"So?" Zell asked with a crooked grin, one hand holding the cup, the other on his hip. "Age doesn't matter so long as he pays his part of the rent."

"I guess. But you think he's okay?" Selphie asked, walking with Zell to the till where she rang up his drink. Zell shrugged. "He's…yeah, I think so. He wasn't there this morning when I got up, but that's not unusual."

Selphie sighed and handed Zell his change. "Well, when you see him, tell him we missed him today!"

Zell nodded and waved. "Sure thing, see ya!"

The brunette's shoulders slumped while she watched Zell leave the store. His words may have sounded good, but it didn't settle the feeling in her stomach that something was wrong.

--

Zell Dincht, blonde, energetic and highly caffeinated, entered the computer store where he worked and greeted the other two staff members with a grin and a "hey!"

As he went into the staff room to find his nametag and hang up his jacket, the cell phone in his pocket chirped. A good reminder to put the phone on vibrate, he noted to himself before answering it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, is this Zell?" The voice was foreign to him, as was the number.

"Yeah, who's this?" he asked, frowning. The voice on the other end was shaky, nervous.

"Look, your friend is in trouble. He's in a lot of trouble. You need to find a way to get him out of this."

"What? Who? Hey, who is this?" Zell demanded. Too late. A click sounded in his ear and he knew that the other person had hung up. Who was that? They sounded southern. Like a cowboy or something from the movies.

With a shrug, Zell sighed. What friend? Laguna? _Squall?_ Who was that, and had he known that Squall was in trouble? Or was Laguna really in trouble and Selphie was right??

The blonde settled his uneasy stomach with a sip of his drink and continued out to the main store where he set the drink at his desk and took a seat. Pulling his glasses off of the collar of his shirt, he put them on and checked his schedule on the computer in front of him. Time to get to work.

--

Later that afternoon and several coffees later, Selphie stood at the counter next to the till, trembling from her overdose of caffeine. She'd done her best to quell her worry about Laguna, but it wouldn't settle. She knew something was wrong. But what was it??

Glancing over the customers who were seated at tables chatting mindlessly, Selphie let her eyes wander to the door where a tall, handsome blonde man was entering. He wore an expensive looking suit and once the door was open, he smiled in greeting to her, a smile that caused her cheeks to grow hot instantly. "Good afternoon," he said with a smooth, confident voice. "I'd like a regular coffee, please."

Selphie rang through his order, staring at him with wide eyes. He was enthralling. But why? Was it those brilliant green eyes? Or that golden hair? Or the tanned skin? Or perhaps the way he'd captured every woman's attention in the store from the moment he'd walked in?

"Here's your change, sir," Selphie said, trying not to stutter. He winked and kept it, handing her another bill. "Here's a tip, sweetheart. Thanks so much."

Turning, the man took his coffee and walked towards the exit, but not before walking into Quistis Trepe. Selphie, to this day, will swear that he walked into her on purpose. No one knew the answer, but all that was known was that it happened, and Quistis seemed agitated by it.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to run into you," he said smoothly, holding Quistis by the arm. "Are you alright?"

She met his eyes briefly, icily, before nodding. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you."

"You have beautiful eyes," he said. "But I'm sure you've been told that before."

"Can I help you?" she asked with a frown. Ever the ice queen.

"I'm just trying to be polite. Here. Let me buy you a coffee. It's the least I can do for running into you like that." He led her to the counter and nodded at Selphie. "Whatever she wants, I'll take care of it."

Selphie just nodded in reply. What would she say to Rico Suavé, anyway?

"I'm Seifer," he said to Quistis, who nodded. "Quistis Trepe," she replied, taking his extended hand. Might as well be polite if there were people around.

"The famous lawyer? I'm honored," Seifer said. The blonde woman shrugged modestly and thanked Selphie for her coffee as Seifer handed her more money.

"I don't want to seem rude," Quistis said as they walked toward the sugar and cream table, "But what do you want? You don't seem the type to walk into a girl and chat her up unless you want something."

"You live up to your reputation, Miss Trepe," Seifer said with a smirk. "But I was just trying to be friendly to someone I ran into quite literally. Forgive me if I seem forward, but it's not every day I run into a beautiful lady such as yourself. Especially one so famous."

"Aren't you famous yourself?" she asked. "And why should you need to try to sweet-talk me, Mr. Almasy? I'm sure you have ladies at your every whim."

Seifer laughed. "You've got me all wrong, Miss Trepe! Perhaps we could discuss this…over dinner?"

"You think you're smooth, don't you?"

"I try to. Is that a yes?"

"I've agreed to nothing."

"But you'll go to dinner with me?" Seifer asked, pulling out a pen and a notepad from the inner pocket of his suit. "At least give me your phone number so I can call you."

"And beg from the other end of a telephone? At least I can get rid of you easier," Quistis said with a grin. Seifer laughed. "And now you're flirting with me deliberately. Now may I have your number or should I just take you out right now?"

"I have somewhere to be right now," Quistis excused herself. Seifer nodded. "Yes, I understand. Powerful lawyer, clients to see, people to save, etc. Right?"

The blonde woman grinned and nodded. "Something like that," she said, taking the pen from him and writing her cell phone number down. "I'm only giving you this to humor you, you know."

"I'll expect you to answer it."

"I probably won't."

"Enjoy your coffee, Miss Trepe. I look forward to seeing you later."

"Your confidence will get you into trouble someday, Mr. Almasy," Quistis called as he winked and left the store.

From the counter, Selphie watched with a raised eyebrow. That was incredible.

Seifer Almasy, the famous, the incredibly rich-and-good-looking, had just bought coffee from her, tipped her, and asked out a lawyer. All in less than five minutes. Amazing!

--

Squall leaned forward in his chair and sulked some more. He hoped Zell was working his little butt off to get him out of there. He was pretty much the last thing Squall could count on at this time.

Quistis straightened out her papers from the folder she'd compiled from their meetings.

"Okay, Squall. You have to help me out here. You don't have an alibi, so you'll need a good testimony to convince the jury you had no intention of murdering Miss Heartilly."

"I didn't have any intention of ever doing that anyway. Why should I convince a jury if they'll just put me away anyway?" he asked, crossing his arms and glaring at Quistis across the table.

The blonde sighed and put her pen down on the table. "Look. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Either way is good for me, but you'll have to remember that the longer this takes, the more it'll cost you."

"You seem to like reminding me of how much you're getting paid," he scoffed. Quistis shrugged.

"I'm trying to think of you. The less time my services are needed, the more money you'll have in the end."

"To pay my bail when I'm locked up, right?"

"Where's your positive attitude?" Quistis asked with a frown. Squall raised an eyebrow, his stormy eyes amused. "Where's yours?" Quistis smirked and Squall shrugged. "Well," he continued, "You're supposed to be my lawyer. Defending me and my life or whatever?"

Quistis was quiet for a moment as she stared at her client across the table. "Squall. What is so difficult about telling me where you were on the night she was killed?"

"I've told you already, and I'll tell you again: I was at home, in bed sleeping."

"And there's no one who can verify that?" Quistis asked. Squall shrugged. "You have people to verify where you sleep at night? Who can prove that _you_ don't go on a rampage in the middle of the night?"

The orange jumpsuit that the jail had provided for him didn't suit Squall in the slightest. His stormy eyes betrayed his discomfort as he looked around the room, at the floor, at his feet- Anything but her.

"Squall," Quistis whispered. "There's something you're not telling me."

He finally met her eyes and pressed his lips in a forced smile. "I know."

--

The trial, day one. It had been days since Quistis had tried to get the truth from Squall, but she hadn't acquired any knowledge save from what she'd already learned.

Judge Norg arrived in the courtroom and the parties were sworn in. The first to the witness stand was Xu Huang, to be questioned by prosecutor, Flora Kadowaki.

"Miss Huang. Please tell us where you were on the night Miss Heartilly was murdered, between twelve am and three am."

Xu blinked her brown eyes sweetly and smirked. "With my boyfriend."

"Can he verify that?" Kadowaki asked, her arms behind her back.

"Yes. We were together from 9pm to the next morning."

"Miss Huang, who is your boyfriend?"

"Seifer Almasy."

On the other side of the room, Quistis felt her heart lurch. The pig had a girlfriend! Well, she certainly wouldn't go out with him now. Not that she'd been considering it or anything…

"Can you tell me why your fingerprints were found in Miss Heartilly's apartment?"

Xu sighed. "Rinoa and I were coworkers. We hung out sometimes, did girl stuff. Movies, popcorn. You know, the usual."

"So it's not unusual to find your fingerprints all over the victim's apartment?"

"No, it's not," Xu replied.

Quistis' turn.

"Miss Huang, can you tell the courtroom why your fingerprints were found all over the murder weapon?"

Xu paled considerably. "What murder weapon?"

Quistis held up a picture of an Egyptian statue, the head of King Tut. "This was found at the scene with your fingerprints all over it. When the coroner examined the victim's head trauma, this statue fit the shape of the wound."

"I-I gave her that…" Xu stuttered. "I gave her that as a gift. My fingerprints were on it because I touched it when I gave it to her."

"That would make sense, wouldn't it?" Quistis said. Xu nodded softly.

"Miss Huang, how tall are you?"

"About five foot five," she replied. Quistis nodded. "No further questions."

Kadowaki stood to her feet as Quistis returned to her place next to Squall.

"The prosecution calls Zell Dincht to the stand."

Squall said nothing, but paled as his best friend rose from the box behind him and stepped into the witness stand.

"Mr. Dincht, where were you on the night of Miss Heartilly's murder?"

Zell blinked. "Sleeping."

"Were you at home?" Kadowaki asked.

"No," Zell replied, a lump forming in his throat. He glanced at Squall who'd raised his eyes to meet Zell's just barely. His expression spoke worlds that he couldn't say.

Kadowaki nodded. "How well did you know the victim?"

"She was a friend of mine," Zell said. "Not really close, but I knew her pretty well, I guess."

"Mr. Dincht, at any time did you harbor anger towards the victim, perhaps because of her close relationship to the defendant?"

Zell frowned. "No, I wasn't jealous of her. We were all friends."

Kadowaki sighed. "What is your relationship with the defendant, Mr. Dincht?"

Zell smirked. "He's my best friend."

"I understand that your best friend and the decedent were once involved. Did you know about that?"

"Yeah, everybody does."

"Why is that?" Kadowaki asked.

"Because they were a great couple," Zell replied.

"Why did they break up?" the prosecutor asked, taking a moment to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. Zell was fidgeting. "Dunno, differences I guess. People change, you know?"

"Feelings change after awhile, don't they?" She paced before the stand.

Judge Norg frowned and shifted in his seat. "Get on with it, Flora."

"Yes, Judge." She turned to Zell. "Would the defendant's feelings towards the victim have ever changed to anger had a new man come into her life, do you think?"

"Naw," Zell replied. "He was happy for her. They were good friends after they broke up."

"Good enough friends to maybe incite jealousy of their relationship from someone else?" Kadowaki asked, raising an eyebrow. Zell's eyes widened. "No way! If you're looking at me, I didn't do it!"

"Objection, Your Honor!" Quistis called. Norg nodded and frowned at Kadowaki. "Do you have a point to this?"

Flora Kadowaki nodded. "I'm just wondering if ever, Mr. Dincht, you felt jealous of Miss Heartilly and Mr. Leonhart's post-breakup relationship."

"No," Zell replied, frowning.

"No further questions." Flora proceeded to sit down, smirking while Quistis rose to speak with Zell.

"Zell Dincht. You and Mr. Leonhart's father are roommates, correct?"

"Yes."

"Can Mr. Loire, the defendant's father, confirm your whereabouts on the night of Miss Heartilly's death?"

Zell looked at the ground and blushed. "Not really."

"Is that a no? Why not?" Quistis approached the stand and looked at him with icy blue eyes.

"Because I wasn't at home…"

"Can you tell us where you were?"

Zell drew in a breath and glanced at Squall who sighed. No point in withholding the truth now.

"I was with Squall," Zell said quietly.

"Between midnight and three am?" Quistis asked. Zell nodded, his eyes shut. He drew in a deep breath and opened his eyes to look at Quistis.

"Squall has an alibi, and so do I. You all probably think I did it because I'm short enough, but the truth is, I had no grudge against Rinny, I never did. I wouldn't hurt her, and neither would Squall. Squall and I were together on the night she was killed, so there's no way that either of us did it," Zell said, his heart getting heavier with each word.

"Can Squall confirm that you were in the apartment with him during the time Miss Heartilly was killed?" Quistis asked softly. She knew where this was going. This was what Squall hadn't wanted to tell her.

"Yeah…We were both in the same room the whole time."

"Yet you've both testified you were sleeping. You were sleeping in the same room?"

Zell looked at Quistis, his eyes hard. "Yeah. Is that a crime?"

"Mr. Dincht, I just need to know so we have solid alibis for everyone, that includes you." Quistis turned to the judge. "No further questions."

Kadowaki stood. "One more question, Your Honor."

Norg nodded. "It had better be relevant."

"Are you meaning to say, Mr. Dincht, that you and the defendant are involved in some way?"

Zell's throat was dry. He reached for his water cup and met Squall's eyes in a panic. He looked defeated. The storm that normally hid behind his eyes was gone. He'd given up. With a small shrug, he nodded at Zell as if to say 'go ahead.'

"Objection!" Quistis cried. Zell ignored her. "Yeah," the blonde said. "He's my boyfriend."

The court was called into recess.

--

Quistis' cell phone rang as she left the courthouse that evening, thoroughly humiliated. She hated defending against Kadowaki- the woman played dirty.

Glancing at her phone, she smirked. At least she'd get some amusement out of today and confront Seifer in his womanizing ways. Her caller ID read "Almasy, Inc."

She picked up the phone. "You don't even give me a day to think about it?"

"I thought you said you weren't going to answer," he said smoothly, a smile in his reply.

Quistis couldn't help but blush. For a lying dog, he sure was handsome, in looks _and_ mannerisms.

"I wasn't. But I learned something interesting today. You want to tell me why you're trying to take me out for dinner? Won't a little someone named Xu Huang be angry with you?"

"Xu? Oh, no, of course not! She and I just see each other now and again. She must think it's more serious than it is."

"Hm, she said you were her boyfriend," Quistis said, walking down the street. She heard Seifer chuckle on the other end. "What can I say? The ladies love me."

"So why do you pursue me endlessly when you know I'm not like them?"

"Because it gives me a challenge." He paused. "Meet me for dinner tonight. I don't expect your adoration; in fact, bring some more of that witty banter with you. I love a girl with flare."

Quistis rolled her eyes. "Where?" She couldn't believe she was agreeing to this.

"Matsuri, 7pm sharp."

"Matsuri? It's impossible-"

"Not for me," Seifer replied with a smile. "Wear something pretty."

Click.

Quistis couldn't help her blush. Sure, she'd dress up: it was a date. But Matsuri? That place was so expensive! At least he had good taste. The place was known for their oysters.

She shook her head. Of course! Oysters, wine, the man was going to try and seduce her. She groaned aloud, causing a few onlookers to glance at her for a moment. She blew her bangs out of her face and hailed a cab to her hotel. If he wanted to play this game…she'd play, and she'd win.

--


	5. Chapter Four

**Framework**

Ahh, the date with Seifer. Wish I could go on one. Good thing for me there's a certain young man out there I know quite well whose attitude quite resembles his. I bet if I got him dressed up, he'd be able to look like Seifer. Shrug. Maybe one day. ;)

Oh. Thanks to all who keep reading this. Sorry for the wait. I've been busy. Give me a break, I've been sick, and seriously lacking in the brain department. Call it…Sears-itis.

Right, and as a forewarning…this story's halfway over. There are only six chapters planned. With an epilogue, which is completely unrelated, but for Matt. You'll like it. It's funny. Hehe.

**Chapter Four**

Quistis Trepe's resolve never shook. Never. She was known for her cool exterior and delectably calm and collected nature, inside and out. So why, of all times, was she pacing her live-in hotel room, frantically tearing through her closet?

"This won't do, this won't either…oh, why am I getting so worked up over this?"

The blonde sat on her bed and sighed. Behind her lay her cell phone, practically begging to be picked up.

"Ellone might know…" Quistis picked up the phone and dialed long distance to Chicago, to the apartment of her best friend and current medical student, Ellone Maeda.

The brunette picked up on the third ring. "Hello?" she asked.

Quistis breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness you're home."

"Quisty? Are you okay? You sound out of breath." A pause. "No, don't tell me…you're calling me after a hot date and he just took your breath away with an amazing kiss."

Quistis was quiet for a moment before smirking. "Ellone, get your head out of those romance novels and back into your textbooks."

"I'm just saying." Quistis heard the brunette sigh and readjust her position on the other end of the phone. "So what's up?"

"Well, I'm…in need of some advice," Quistis admitted. Ellone squealed. "Aha! I knew it!"

"Can you shut up for a second?"

"Fine, fine. What's happening, Quisty?"

Quistis sighed. "Well, I'm going on a date tonight…" The silence wouldn't last long.

"A date! And I thought you were only there on business… Tell me all about him! Is he tall, dark and handsome?"

"No."

"Tall, blond and handsome?"

"…well, he's tall."

"Not blond?"

"Yes, he's blond, but it's more…gold."

"Gold, eh? You were paying attention. How'd you meet him? Did you run into him in the street, or did he sweep you off your feet in a coffee shop?" Ellone gushed, ever the romantic.

Quistis rolled her eyes. "Actually, he ran into me in a coffee shop."

"Deliberately or by accident?"

"I'd think it was deliberately."

"So if he ran into _you_ deliberately, how'd he end up getting a date with you, O Ice Queen?"

"I gave him my number to humor him, totally not expecting him to call."

"And he did," Elle concluded with a click of her tongue. Quistis nodded.

"He certainly did. And now I have a date with him and I've no idea what to wear, and…"

"Where is it?"

"Matsuri-" Could Quistis ever get a sentence in without being interrupted?

"Known for oysters and impossible reservations," Ellone finished. Nope. "Wear that sexy halter top I know you brought with you."

"What!" Quistis cried, color rising in her cheeks. The brunette, unseen by her friend, shrugged with a sly grin. "It's not in your closet for me to borrow, so you must have brought it with you. That would be the logical explanation, wouldn't it?"

Quistis blushed harder. "I can't wear that…it's too revealing."

"It is not. You have lovely shoulders, show them off. Besides, it's not like you'll take _this_ one home, right?"

"Ellone, I never take them home. I'm not like you."

"Touché," she replied with a laugh. "There was that one time with that dark boy, the handsome one, what was his name…Kiros?"

Quistis blushed. "Nothing happened that night."

"Nothing my wall and pillow folded over my ears all night will attest to, right?"

Quistis said nothing and Ellone laughed. "So the black top, with a skirt. But not a short one. We don't want to give off the impression that you're a skank-"

"Which I'm not," Quistis added in her defense.

"No, you're certainly not. Wear something knee length that doesn't scream 'lawyer', but 'I like to have fun on the weekends.' And high heels. Tell me more about him, besides the golden hair. How tall is he?"

"I don't know, Elle, maybe like…Six two?"

"Perfect for you. Eyes?"

"Green, I think."

"You noticed. Score points for him," Elle said triumphantly.

Quistis laughed. "You make me sound like some kind of horrible shrew."

"Only on Thursdays," Ellone joked. "Now. Skin color. Is he pale like you? Because we can't have your children looking like little vampires."

Quistis stood up and took in a deep breath to ream out her friend but instead sighed and shook her head, amused. "He's tanned. His hair is short and kind of slicked back, and he has a killer smile that makes your knees weak."

"Muscular, I'd assume. I'll bet he has a great body."

Quistis blushed yet again.

"Buuuuutttt, you won't be finding that out tonight. Where does he work?"

"He's…the company president of…a high end insurance agency."

"Oh yeah? Which one?"

"Almasy, Inc."

Silence on the other end indicated that she'd finally shut her friend up for once.

Quistis waited patiently.

"You're kidding."

"No."

"You're going on a date with _Seifer Almasy_?!" The pitch of Ellone's voice had Quistis holding the phone away from her ear.

"Yes. And thanks to you, I know what I'm wearing."

"That's one you'll have to be on your guard _for!!_" Elle squealed. "I hear he's quite the womanizer. And if he can get you, he's some sort of divine being."

"Ellone, I love how you make me sound like some sort of frigid block of ice who never gets out or gets any."

"But it's true," her friend replied. Quistis cried out in mock-offense and sighed, going to the closet and pulling out the items of dress that Elle had decided for her.

"Wear your hair down. And…call me after to tell me if he's a good kisser."

"I'm not letting him in."

"I didn't say you were going to," Elle replied. "But you still have to call me. I'll wait up. Let that be your incentive."

"What, that I have to call a hard-working med student in the middle of the night when she should be sleeping? How good of a person does that make me?"

"It makes you a bad person, but a best friend. Call me."

_Click!_

Quistis closed her phone with a sigh. Wear her hair down? Well, she supposed it would do well to cover her bare shoulders once her coat was off…

With a groan, she fell back on her bed, her hair spreading out behind her. Well. She supposed she'd worked hard enough to deserve this date. It wasn't like…she was going to go get drunk and be late for work in the morning, or show up to her meeting with a hangover…

Quistis stood, picked up her selected clothes and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. She'd show Seifer a thing or two.

--

Quistis wasn't sure how she'd show Seifer a thing or two when he looked the way he did.

He stood when she arrived at his table, escorted by the hostess, smiling in that charming way that seemed to make Quistis' resolve a little thinner. He took her coat from her and hung it behind her on the hook attached to their private, quiet leather booth. Quistis noted that he had reserved an excellent place in the restaurant - private and far from other tables, lit by candle light and close to the window to observe the brilliant city night lights.

"You look beautiful," he said as he sat down after she did. She blushed and nodded, not bothering to return the compliment when in fact, he himself looked rather sharp in his suit and tie. He had the usual business outfit on, but it was a different suit from earlier, and there was something twinkling in his eyes that set her reeling inside.

"Have you been here before?" he asked, not opening his menu. Quistis was almost certain the waiters and waitresses probably all knew him and had his order memorized by now by the way they glanced over. He probably brought a different girl here every week. _Be on your guard, Quisty,_ she heard Ellone's voice say in her head.

"No, I'm from out of town, remember?" she asked. He chuckled. "Right, right. Windy city, correct?"

"Yes. This is a very nice restaurant. Do you come here often?"

"I should think, Miss Trepe, that with that look in your eyes, you're inquiring as to whether or not I bring my dates here every time. Would I be correct in that assumption?"

Quistis blinked her blue eyes, unsure of how to answer that. He just chuckled, flashing her another brilliant smile. Quistis knew what he was doing. He was turning on the charm to weaken her. It wouldn't work that way, no sir! She knew how to play this game too. But it wasn't her turn yet…No, definitely not yet.

"Mr. Almasy, I should think that you'd think higher of me by now, surely. Besides, is there a crime in making simple small talk?"

"There is a crime in referring to me in such a formal manner when we're on a date. Please, call me Seifer."

"Alright."

"May I call you Quistis?"

_You can call me whatever you want, _she heard herself think, but caught her tongue. "You may," she replied, taking a sip from her water. A waiter walked up and asked them if they wanted some wine. Seifer accepted and glanced at Quistis, who decided she would also accept. If the man was going to pay for dinner, she might was well enjoy it.

"Let's not make this awkward," Seifer said, sipping his wine with another smile. "Tell me about yourself."

"What don't you know already?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, placing an elbow on the table to rest her chin against. Her coquettish pose made him smile.

"Well, I know you're a lawyer from Chicago, you've lost only one case before, and…I've never heard anything bad about you. You're absolutely beautiful, and I love how your hair looks, falling over your shoulder like that."

Quistis drew in a breath, hoping he wouldn't notice. Okay, so if subtle flirting didn't work, what was she supposed to do, win by flirting back? How would she win? She couldn't very well say she'd won by pushing him against a wall and kissing him. That might look out of line. On the other hand, it was something she definitely had always wanted to do. She figured he might just be the person man enough to take it from her. She also figured he might sense her movements and turn it around so he was the one kissing _her_ against the wall. Knowing her luck, it was probably going to end up that way.

How did two confident, arrogant people have a civil date with each other and not end it in murder?

"Did you go to Harvard?" he asked. She smiled. "For a little while. I transferred because I didn't find it challenging enough."

"Oxford, then." Seifer smiled. He liked his women smart.

"I found it refreshing there. Plenty of challenges there to keep my brain well-fed with information."

"So you're a genius, I'd assume."

"I wouldn't say that," she said, sipping her wine. The young man across from her shrugged. "No, you might not, but I would. I didn't go to a prestigious school such as Oxford or Harvard."

"So how did you end up with such a good job?" she asked, knowing the answer, but wanting to seem curious.

"Inheritance."

She smiled devilishly. "I'd imagine that you're fabulously wealthy then," she said. He nodded.

"Disturbingly. But you're not that kind of woman, are you, Quistis Trepe? Stop trying to trick me with your ways. They won't work."

"Then stop trying with me," she said, her shoulders falling and anger entering her eyes.

"Do you do this with every woman?" she demanded. A waiter walked up, interrupting them to take their orders.

Once he'd walked away, hastily, Quistis noticed, Seifer frowned and replied, "No! Most women I tend to date are idiots who just want me for my money. Excuse me for being interested in someone with a brain."

Quistis rolled her eyes. "Seifer, do you have your dates rehearsed? Honestly. Let's talk about something interesting. Give me a reason to want to be here with you tonight."

"You're intrigued by me. Most men turn away once you give the first inkling of a cold shoulder. I'm sorry if you find it offensive that someone might actually be strong enough to ignore that barrier and be interested in you."

"You're not just taking me out because I'm the defense attorney for the client accused of murdering your secretary, are you?"

Seifer smiled, his eyes twinkling flirtatiously at her. "Now Miss Trepe, don't you think that if that was the case, you'd know by now? Besides. We're not allowed to talk about the case."  
"You're correct," Quistis said, taking a large sip of her wine. "So let's talk about something interesting. Let's talk about something that dates talk about."

"There's the usual, movies, books, music…but that's boring."

"I find books quite interesting to discuss," Quistis said in her defense.

"Ah, well I do enjoy a good Tolkien myself, but why discuss books on a date? Tell me, Miss Trepe…why are you a lawyer? What drives you to defend people who are probably guilty? Why is it that you get up in the morning to be who you are?"

Quistis looked at him, stunned by his question. "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "Give me one reason why you're not like other girls."

"I'm not after you for your money, and I'm not itching to take you home with me," she said softly. Seifer smiled. This would be an interesting night.

---

Quistis stopped Seifer outside of her hotel room and smiled faintly. "Well, this was fun."

Seifer leaned back on a heel casually and smirked. "Fun-torture-fun or fun-I-had-a-good-time-with-you-tonight-fun."

"I did have a good time."

"You're not going to kiss me, are you," Seifer said flatly. Quistis grinned over her shoulder as she opened her door. "You'll have to earn it, Mr. Almasy."

"Ah, so that means you'll go on another date with me."

"That's what it means; of course, provided you pay for it again," Quistis said, now in the open doorway. Seifer cocked his head and grinned at her with a sigh. "And you said you weren't after me for my money."

"Thanks again," she said with a chuckle and closed the door.

Seifer winked as she did so, turned around, and walked down the hall, whistling, his hands in his pockets.

"Now that," he concluded, "is an interesting woman."

--

Selphie's day had yet to yield anything interesting as she served customers like usual. Her apron was lopsided, her hair wasn't as cute as usual, and her spirits were drooping. She hadn't seen Squall _or_ Laguna in days. Why is it that this always happened to her? She was more than a little ticked off.

She sighed and served the next customer in line when a familiar face entered the coffee shop. Quistis Trepe, the lawyer that had been hit on by Mr. Almasy. She was in a hurry, but still looked fabulous in her suit and jacket. Selphie always found it amazing how even as this woman rushed about, never a hair was out of place. It made her green with jealousy.

As Quistis went to the cooler and selected an energy drink for herself, Zell walked in. Seeing Quistis on the other side of the store, he hurried over to her. Selphie couldn't help but notice how the lawyer's expression changed when she saw him. Selphie couldn't place _how _it had changed, but it had. And that was important. She thought.

Zell and Quistis stood close together, talking in whispers for a few minutes before Zell broke away and went to get his oversized soda for the day. "Excuse me," a voice said, interrupting Selphie's detective stance. The green eyed girl shook her head. "I'm sorry?"

"Are you going to stand there or should I just leave without paying?" The man in front of her had most likely been standing in the midst of her sleuthing the entire time. Selphie blushed and rang in his coffee. "Sorry, sir."

--

The jury, a tight-lipped band of twelve, sat in their little box and stared at Squall with piercing eyes that made him nervous.

Squall, in the witness stand, chewed on his lower lip and fiddled with his fingers in his lap as Flora Kadowaki paced in front of him. Quistis sat on her side on defense, but her leg was moving up and down violently with impatience.

"Mr. Leonhart, I'm sure you're aware that your fingerprints were found in the decedent's apartment," Kadowaki asked.

"Yes, and they should be. We were friends; I went to her apartment sometimes."

"When were you there last?"

"About two weeks ago, when I went to take her stuff back."

"Why did you have her stuff, Mr. Leonhart?"

"Because we'd been dating before, and I had a few of her things at my place. I thought she might want them back."

"Were you dating her still when you decided you liked men, Mr. Leonhart?"

Quistis stood, her eyebrows furrowed. "Objection!"

Judge Norg frowned as well, glaring at Kadowaki. "That's an unnecessary question, Flora. Totally irrelevant to this case."

"Yes, Your Honor," Kadowaki said, shooting a backwards glare towards Quistis.

"Your fingerprints place you in the decedent's apartment, Mr. Leonhart. You're aware that this looks bad?"

"Yes, I realize that. But how come you're not putting Irvine Kinneas or Xu Huang in jail? Their fingerprints were in there, too."

Kadowaki shook her head. "I'm asking the questions, Mr. Leonhart." She paced a few steps before him and turned to face him again. "If you wanted to tell the jury one thing, what would it be?"

Squall looked over the jury and sighed. "I didn't kill her, as much as half the people in this courtroom think I did. Evidence is showing that whoever delivered the death blow to Rinoa was shorter than myself. That rules me out. Sure, my fingerprints were there, but I didn't ever want to hurt her."

"Thank you, Mr. Leonhart," Flora interrupted. "That's enough."

Squall looked at his hands. "I just want…to see Zell again," he said quietly, but only the Judge heard him and responded with a saddened frown.

--

The day was finally over and Zell could hardly wait to leave work. Pulling his jacket on, he said goodbye to his coworker and headed out the door briskly. He had somewhere to be.

--

Squall lay on his back, his arms behind his head as he stared at the ceiling, yet again. It was pretty much all he had to do in this rotten place. Thank goodness he didn't have a cellmate. Quistis had made sure of that.

The sound of keys in a lock startled him and he sat up. A guard was at the door, unlocking the bars and opening them. "Come on, Leonhart. You've got a visitor."

A visitor! Squall's heart leapt with joy. But then it sank back down. He didn't even know who it was. If it had been Quistis, they would have just let her in. It could be anyone, he figured.

Following the guard down the hallway with a heavy heart, Squall stared at the ground in defeat. All he wanted was to be out of this horrible place.

--

Zell was sitting in a hard metal folding chair with a slab of glass in front of him to separate him from the prisoner that would be sitting in front of him momentarily. Two phones were on the wall on opposing sides, for talking. Zell's legs wouldn't stay still, and he couldn't stop fidgeting.

Suddenly a guard appeared and Squall was pushed gently into the chair in front of him. Zell's breath hitched, happy to see Squall, but heartbroken at the conditions. The brunet wore handcuffs and the guard made sure they were secure before stepping away to give them privacy. "You've got five minutes," the guard said gruffly as he left. Squall looked at the ground briefly before looking up to meet Zell's terrified eyes.

The young blond's jaw was clenched as he studied his best friend. He couldn't touch him, he couldn't hear his voice, he couldn't reach out and hold him until that look of despair went away. It was destroying him.

Zell picked up the phone and motioned for Squall to do the same on the other side of the glass. Squall did so with difficulty through the handcuffs.

"Hey," he heard Squall whisper. Zell's eyebrows furrowed with worry. "You look terrible, Squall. Are you feeling okay? Do you get any sleep at night?"

Squall shrugged, his eyes baggy and his slouch prominent. Zell was shocked to see him like this.

"It's…kind of hard sometimes," he said softly. He added with a small smile, "Without you, anyway." Zell drew in a breath and let out a deep sigh, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "We're gonna get to the bottom of this, you know?" the blonde said softly with a faint smile. Squall finally met his eyes, his own brows furrowed. The storm behind his gaze was violent. He was miserable. Zell put his hand up on the glass, his fingers splayed. "We'll get you out," he whispered. Squall hesitated, glanced around, and then put his hand on the glass opposite Zell's, with great difficulty because of the handcuffs. Squall nodded and swallowed hard. "Hurry," he said. Zell nodded and offered his best smile. "I'm trying as hard as I can."

Squall took his hand off the glass and turned his gaze to Zell's hands on the desk in front of him.

Zell thought for a moment. "Oh…Laguna's disappeared."

Squall looked up, an eyebrow raised. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, he hasn't been home in a couple of days and I'm a little worried because I haven't heard from him. Do you know where he might be?"

"Zell, you know I don't know where my dad goes. He's…weird like that. He just disappears sometimes, I guess. But…he didn't tell you he was leaving?"

Zell shrugged. "He usually does, or he leaves a note."

Squall was quiet for a moment but startled when the guard came back and told him to hang up.

Squall looked into Zell's eyes intently. "Find Irvine Kinneas. He's probably related to it. Find him, and you might find my dad."

Zell smiled and nodded slightly. "I'll be back soon," he whispered, his eyes saying everything else he couldn't convince his tongue to.

Squall forced a smile. "Please," he whispered, before the guard took the phone and hung it up for him.

Zell watched as Squall was led away, and the blond's heart broke even further.

_Why is it I always hesitate? I never tell him…when he really needs to know._

Zell stood and was let out of the visiting area. Stuffing his hands into his pockets as he left the jail, he returned home in silence.

--

**Note**: _So what is it that Zell hesitates on? What is it that Squall needs to know?? I know you know. -sad smile- It's something that should never be hesitated on because you honestly don't know what the future holds or if you'll get the chance to tell that person next time._


	6. Chapter Five

****

Framework

__

Note: Sorry for the wait, guys. I went on hiatus for awhile and started writing multiple Naruto fics, got swallowed up by Ouran High School Host Club and Fruits Basket, as well as…general…disinterest in this story. If it helps, I've been playing FFIX lately instead… I know that's no excuse. But yeah, here it is. Just this and the next chapter to go…so next chapter's the last one.

****

Chapter Five

Xu was pissed off. And she meant that literally. If this had been a cartoon, there would probably be some sort of mark on her forehead, twitching away to let onlookers know to stay their distance. Instead, there was a large vein down the middle of her forehead, and that was warning enough.

Seifer knew it wasn't going to be fun to have a chat with the Asian woman this morning, but something had to be done. He figured she was angry about Quistis, but there was little to know way she would have known unless she'd been stalking the two of them on their dates.

Since the last date, Seifer had taken Quistis out a few times, but after the last few court sessions, Quistis hadn't returned any of his phone calls and he couldn't figure out why.

The young president figured it was all a matter of time before he could confront her and have a heated argument where he could just press her against a wall and kiss her to melt the ice, but he had a feeling she'd probably push him off and slap him. That was just what kind of girl she was. And it was the challenge of her that he enjoyed.

When Xu entered his office per his request, she stood in the doorway with that prominent vein in her forehead as she bit her lip, one of her feet behind the heel of her other one, taking a truly shameful pose. Seifer could have pushed her over and she probably would have stayed on the ground, staring at him with puppy eyes.

He sighed. "Come in, Xu. Close the door behind you."

She did so and sat down in the chair opposite his desk. She still had yet to look at him.

"Why are you so angry with me?" he asked softly, even though he knew already.

"I'm not angry, Seifer."

"You feel betrayed," he answered, finishing her thoughts. It was then that she looked up and met his eyes and he could see that was exactly how she was feeling.

"I understand that you could feel betrayed by my sudden interest in another woman. Look, Xu. I'm not going to try and win your affection back. We agreed that this wasn't an exclusive relationship."

With each statement, Xu's heart felt a little more crushed under the heel of his boot.

"I'm not exclusively dating Quistis, either. Since one of your many stunts in the courtroom the other day, she hasn't returned my calls. Now, I'm not ruling myself out as a man with my skills as a smooth talker, so I imagine I can win her back eventually."

"Are you talking to her because you genuinely like her, or because you want her to falter and lose the case?"

Seifer was amused by Xu's forwardness. His eyes glinted as he folded his arms on the desk in front of him.

"I suppose it's a little bit of both."

"What would you gain by putting Leonhart in jail?"

"Satisfaction. You know I've wanted to ruin him since we were in high school."

"Seifer, he's not successful like you are."

"No, but he's successful. Even under a false name, he's still widely known throughout the world. I want to stop that."

"Rivalry is an ugly thing," Xu said softly. He smirked in her direction and raised an eyebrow.

"So I'm noticing," he replied. Xu realized that he was referring to her and she cast her eyes to her lap.

Seifer stood and stood facing the window that overlooked the city. He continued to speak.

"I've received word that Squall's little boyfriend, Zell Dincht, has been contacted by Kinneas. Now, the little brat is out looking for him. We can't have this."

"Sir?" Xu asked, standing up. Seifer turned and nodded.

"I don't know where Irvine is, but that doesn't matter to me anymore. He's worthless to me anyway. Zell is the one we need to watch out for. He lacks in street smarts, but he's got a brain in that head of his that could be dangerous. He's getting too close to us."

"Who should I send, sir?" she asked, dropping all familiarity. When Seifer was in business-mode, there was no trying to be nice.

"Send Shiva, Siren and Odin. They're reliable, and itching for a hit. Make sure they realize this is a no-nonsense job that must be completed. No matter what it takes, Zell must be eliminated."

--

Shiva and Siren were twin girls, tall, slender with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Both girls seemed to be the image of cheerleaders, so they often got attention from men, and jealous daggers from women.

Odin was a stocky, muscular and quiet man with lots of tattoos on his arms. He didn't say much, and when he did, it was seldom anything other than something violent. The three of them ironically worked well together.

Shiva and Siren had squealed with joy when they'd found out there was a new hit, and especially a hit on someone with goods on their organization. Anything to do with scandal was something to make the twins' blood boil.

Xu gave them the details, as well as possible locations of Dincht. She was fairly confident in their tracking abilities, so she figured they'd probably find him fairly easily.

Hopefully.

Regarding a certain cowboy, Xu didn't know how Irvine was working in his absence. She didn't know where he could possibly be staying and remain under the radar so skillfully. Perhaps they'd underestimated him.

Never mind that, she corrected herself. The twins and Odin would make a quick work of the cowboy. Seifer had made a decree that anyone who found Irvine was to kill him on the spot, no questions asked. The three assassins had a lot of work to do.

--

Irvine smirked to himself as he saw the van pull up to the curb. The twins and Odin. He was impressed. Apparently Seifer thought him worth something if he'd send three assassins after him.

Irvine Kinneas flipped his ponytail back over his shoulder and sighed softly. In his hand he carried a small box, and a screwdriver. In his pocket was a roll of duct tape. All he had to do now was wait.

--

Odin wasn't saying anything, but the girls could tell by his increasingly furrowing brow that he was getting agitated.

"Where is he?" Siren asked, flipping blonde hair behind her. She fingered a knife in her hand, running the edge of the blade across the pad of her thumb without cutting herself.

Shiva crossed her arms and leaned against the van. "Well, we can't track him just standing here. Let's drive around for awhile. We've been looking for him for hours on foot with no sign. We've gotta kill him before we go back to headquarters or Seifer'll kill us."

Odin grunted in affirmation and Siren rolled her eyes. "We're valuable, Seifer wouldn't kill us."

"If we don't find the kid soon, _he_ might kill us." Shiva sighed and got into the passenger's seat of the van. Siren followed suit and climbed into the back. Odin continued to say nothing as he got into the driver's side and started the vehicle.

--

From his position on the rooftop, Irvine could see everything. Hopefully he'd wired it correctly. Hopefully the tape would stay on…hopefully…no one else would get hurt…

They were in a fairly deserted area with little to no other people around in a sketchy area of town. It was almost certain that there was no one nearby.

Irvine saw the three of them climb into the van and watched eagerly until Odin started the van. Then he shut his eyes.

--

The van exploded in a violent wave of fire and gasoline, killing the three inside instantly.

--

Hours later, Xu explained to Seifer why his assassins hadn't completed the job.

"What do you _mean_ they were killed by a car bombing?!" Seifer snarled, his fists clenched as he stood from his chair, facing Xu across from his desk.

Xu held a clipboard against her chest and bit her lip nervously.

"Someone bombed them, sir. I think it was Irvine."

"You think? He's out there, killing my people and we _still_ don't know where he is! Find him, or I'll go out there and kill him myself!" A prominent vein stuck out on Seifer's forehead as his face grew red. "Right after I finish killing you!"

Xu took the hint and left the office.

--

For the next three days, Irvine lay low in an abandoned building. He'd been unable to contact Zell, and he was starting to worry if it would be too dangerous to even try to disguise himself. So far, he'd cut off his ponytail and the stubble from a week without shaving was starting to hide his ivory face.

This was going to be a problem, no matter what.

--

Zell knew he was being followed, he just couldn't figure out by whom. He knew this was all having to do with Squall being in jail, the car bombings, the strange phone call, and Rinoa's death. All of this was connected. Something had been stumbled upon that was bigger than he could ever imagine, and he was nailing it down further and further to Almasy, Inc.

In his travels, he had concluded that there was more than met the eye behind that corporation, and Seifer Almasy was no insurance company president. No, definitely not. There was something dark behind the scenes of that company. Something dark…and murderous. He knew they were a group of hired and trained assassins, that much he'd figured out with Laguna, but he wasn't sure how far the group ran, and how deep their claws were into whatever it was they were planning. Who did they kill, and for what purpose? Why were certain targets targeted?

Zell was almost certain that Rinoa's death was caused by one of Almasy's people. He couldn't prove it yet, but he knew he had to find a way. He had to find this guy who kept calling him. He had information for him that might get Squall out of jail, that might find Laguna…where _was_ Laguna, anyway? He hadn't been home in four days!

The blond wasn't worried quiet yet: he would be tomorrow. Five days without word, regardless of the man's age, was unusual, even for Laguna. 

Zell had had enough caffeine that day to fill a horse. He was practically shaking by the time he left work that night, and knew he had to hurry home before he passed out from a heart attack on the side of the road. Perhaps his caffeine intake would give him extra alertness to guard against potential attackers? He'd felt like he was being watched for days now, not sure from where or how, but he could feel the eyes, constantly on the back of his head, watching his every move, even when he was eating lunch. It creeped him out to no end, especially when Laguna wasn't at home, and Squall wasn't with him in the night. Zell had never been a man to be afraid of the dark, but alone in a room with no one there by your side was enough to turn the shadows on the wall into extraordinary monsters.

As Zell walked down the street, busy as it was, he felt watched. He shoved his hands into his pockets, firstly to warm his hands on the chilly evening, and secondly to wrap his fingers around the small spray can of mace he carried. He was male, yes, but this was still New York, and there were plenty of men around who were twice his size. He could never be too careful.

In the parking garage of his apartment building, Zell pulled out his keys to enter the foyer. Footsteps scraped behind him and he whirled, coming face to face with a tall, blond man.

Seifer Almasy. The man was angry, his teeth bared as his lip curled in a snarl.

"If you knew how much trouble you're causing me, kid…"

"You-" Zell started, his hands trembling as he dropped his keys. A few meters away, Selphie was standing on the curb, watching silently. Zell saw her but said nothing. This wasn't about her, and he definitely wanted to keep all the attention to himself and away from her.

"You're Seifer Almasy. The…president of the assassin company," Zell announced. Seifer's snarl turned into a smirk.

"Well done, Chicken-Wuss. You've done your homework. You must know why I'm here, then."

"No, but I can probably guess." Zell was going to bend over to pick up his keys but Seifer shook his head. "Don't even try it, Dincht."

"You're here to kill me because your other cronies couldn't? I'm not that hard to kill, Mr. Almasy."

Seifer's smirk returned to a snarl. He hated when his victims were right! It rarely happened!

"I'll kill you because you know too much."

"Who's the guy who keeps calling me? Where's Laguna, and why is Squall in jail?" Zell asked. Seifer frowned. "You ask questions I have no answers to, little Chicken-Wuss."

"Stop calling me that!" Zell demanded. In the distance, Selphie was silently dialing for the police.

"But you are a Chicken-Wuss. Anyone who sleeps with another man, let alone _Squall_ should be deemed a Chicken-Wuss. Tell me something, Dincht. What's it like knowing you'll never see him again?"

"What will you gain from killing me?" Zell asked with furrowed brows.

Seifer crossed his arms. "Satisfaction. Joy. Relief. You're responsible for the death of three of my best assassins."

"Then they weren't that good if they died so easily," Zell retorted, earning a growl from Seifer's throat.

"Shut up, Chicken-Wuss! You're in league with Kinneas, aren't you? I know you're smart enough to figure things out, but you're not smart enough to wire a bomb; that's Kinneas' forte. Where is he? I want to kill him after I'm done with you!"

Zell frowned. "Kinneas? Irvine Kinneas? Rinoa's…"

"Yes, Rinoa's boyfriend! You're quick. And about Laguna-"

Sirens.

Selphie grinned from her spot on the sidewalk across the street.

Seifer growled low in his throat and headed back to the shiny black car a ways away from them. "This isn't over," he hissed, ducking into it before it peeled out of the parking garage.

Selphie ran over to Zell and grabbed his arm. "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine," Zell replied softly, smiling at her gently. "Thanks for your help. I'm not really sure what might have happened if you hadn't called…"

The blond picked up his keys and told the police cruiser that it was nothing but a domestic disturbance that had ended before they got there. The officer told Zell and Selphie to go inside and stay there while they looked around, and so happily, the two complied.

--

Selphie stepped into Zell's apartment and gasped in awe. "Man, it's hot in here! How do you stand it?"

Zell laughed. "It's my tropical paradise."

"So what just happened that I got to see?" Selphie asked, pulling out a wooden kitchen chair and sitting down on it. Zell paced around the computer desk with his arms crossed.

"That was Seifer Almasy, head of Almasy, Inc. He's supposed to be an insurance company president, but he's the head of an organization of hit men. They killed Rinoa. They might know where Laguna is, and Irvine was one of them. Because of them, Squall is in jail. I don't know where Irvine is. And…that's about all I know."

Selphie sighed. "That's a lot of stuff happening in a short time." She stood and touched his arm. "Has all of this happened while you come to my store, smiling and chipper as usual?"

He forced a smile. "Yeah, I guess it has."

"Zell, why didn't you say anything?" she asked, her eyes reflecting sadness and compassion. He shrugged. "I don't know…this is kinda big stuff, I guess. My boyfriend's in jail, and I can't get him out. It's not up to me. It's up to this crazy lawyer chick who's been seen dating that jerk, Almasy…Rinny's dead…Selphie, I don't know what to do."

Selphie pulled Zell into a friendly embrace and the young man laid his head on her shoulder in exasperation. He was out of options.

"Should I just…let it be for now? Let the trial keep going until they give Squall's final verdict, and tell the cop shop about Seifer and that's it?"

Selphie smiled softly. "Well…it's kinda out of your hands, isn't it?"

He nodded and sat down in front of the computers. He took his glasses off and rubbed his face tiredly. "I guess it is. So what now?"

"Call the cops and tell them about Seifer," Selphie started. "Then we need to look for Laguna."

"Laguna…I really don't know where he is," Zell said softly, worry entering his voice.

Selphie nodded. "Let's get to work then, shall we?"

Zell looked at her and smiled. "You know, for the coffee shop girl, you're pretty cool."  
She beamed. "Thanks!"

Zell had a thought. A crazy thought, but it worked. "Hey…um…I don't want to sound forward, and you know about …Squall and stuff, but…can you maybe…" He blushed. "Can you stay here tonight? I'll sleep on the couch," he added quickly.

"Lonely?" she asked with a grin. He nodded. "It's…dark."

Selphie giggled. "Sure thing, Zell. I'd be happy to."

"You're pissed at me for taking Squall, aren't you."

"Nothing I can't get over. I still have Sir Laguna, right?"

"I guess, even though he's old enough to be your dad."

"So?! A little age difference never hurt anybody…"

"It hurts people in the law," Zell replied quietly, earning a swat on the arm from his green-eyed friend.

"Okay! Let's get to work!" Selphie announced and the two sat down for some rigorous note-taking.

---

The next morning, news crews, an ambulance and several police cruisers surrounded Zell's building. Zell and Selphie came outside to investigate, and were asked by police to step back.

"What happened?" Zell asked.

A police officer shook his head. "There's been a murder. This is a crime scene, I need you to step back please, sir."

"Yeah, sure but…anyone from here?"

"I can't give you that information," the officer replied. Selphie looked past the police officer and saw the body on the ground, surrounded in blood. "Zell, look!" she cried, pointing.

It was Irvine Kinneas.

--

__

Note: Full of inconsistencies. I'm sorry. I tried to get them all, but I really need to go over my entire story and read it from the beginning up until now so I can make sure I got all my facts straight. Forgive me if I screwed something up, I'm not going to fix it. Lol.


	7. Chapter Six

****

Framework

Here it is: Final chapter. Thanks for those…very few of you who read this story. I'm happy to have written it, and glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for everything.

There will be an epilogue, but it's entirely humor, and nothing to do with the story. Either way, there's an epilogue coming.

****

Chapter Six

"Come to order! Come to order! The honorable Judge Norg resides!" The bailiff cried and things started to settle in the noisy court room.

The jury sat in their box, the witnesses sat where they were assigned, and Squall sat next to Quistis, his head in his hands.

"Thank you, bailiff," Norg said and nodded to the defense and prosecution and sat.

"The jury has made their decision," Norg said, his voice heavy. A piece of paper was on the desk in front of him. "I will come to that in a moment." He cleared his throat and looked at Squall until the young man looked up at him, seemingly feeling like the top of his head was burning.

"Squall Leonhart has been presented to me in two manners; he's been shown as a good man in the wrong place at the wrong time, and as a murderer, filthy and rotten through and through. Both sides have provided evidence protecting or sentencing said young man, and it is the votes of the jury that have decided whether he spends his life in jail, or walks from here a free man."

Squall leaned back in his chair and furrowed his eyebrows. He jumped, startled as Zell leaned over the railing behind Squall to put his hand on the brunet's shoulder. Squall put his hand over Zell's and couldn't help as he started shaking. Truth or not, his life was about to be decided for him. Quistis wanted to reach out for her client, but she knew it wouldn't be professional. Zell's support was all he needed.

"The jury has spoken, and regarding the trial of Squall Leonhart, the charge of murder in the first degree, they find the defendant…" He paused and looked into Squall's eager, worried eyes, "…Guilty of all charges." Thumping the gavel on his desk, the Judge rose and left the courtroom, his heart sinking as he watched Squall crumple to the ground in grief. The sounds in the room were a mixture: laughing and high-fives from the prosecution's side, but moans and cries of grief as several people gathered around Squall to hug him and tell them they were sorry. After they had left Squall, the brunet turned to see Zell standing behind him, tears pouring down his pale face. His glasses were draped across the neck of his shirt, as if to protect them from the onslaught of tears that poured. Zell could say nothing as he wrapped his arms around Squall's waist and cried into his chest. Quistis let them be as she packed up her things, her face stone cold as Seifer grinned from his seat in the audience. Flora Kadowaki stepped forward to shake Quistis' hand, but the blonde refused to give her the satisfaction.

Squall did not cry. He could not cry. Right now, he had to be strong for Zell. Zell pulled away from Squall and cupped Squall's face in his hands so he was looking down at the shorter blond. "I'll visit you," Zell promised. "Every day."

Squall smiled sadly and shook his head. "You don't have to do that…I'm in here for life, you know."

Zell's chin quivered as he attempted to smile, smoothing Squall's hair out of his eyes. "And didn't we agree that I was in this with you…for life?"

Squall closed his eyes and fought back the lump in his throat as he allowed his forehead to rest against Zell's in grief.

"I promised," Zell whispered, heard only by Squall amongst the din around them. Squall nodded as best he could and sighed, pulling Zell against him one more time as an officer told them to finish up. "I love you," Squall whispered in Zell's ear, feeling the young man tense against him in shock. He'd never said it before. "I do," he added, as if to suggest Zell didn't believe him. More tears poured from Zell's crystal blue eyes as he chewed on his bottom lip. "I've been trying to tell you for ages," he whispered. Squall nodded as the officer took one of Squall's hands to put him in handcuffs. Squall was thankful that he was a great deal more gentle than the previous officers he'd had to deal with.

With his free hand, Squall tipped Zell's chin up and kissed him softly. "I'm sorry," he said as his other hand was taken and cuffed. Zell wasn't able to say anything as Squall was led away. Quistis stepped over to Zell and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Zell…I know how much this must hurt right now."  
Zell rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms and nodded to the best of his ability. "Thanks," he mumbled. "I'm…going to get out of here."

Quistis nodded and sighed, defeated. Two cases lost in her entire career. This wouldn't be looking good on her records.

--

_"Ryan Heart, the popular romance novelist, has been put in jail for the murder of Rinoa Heartilly. Officials say that the two were romantically involved at some point before the two broke up and pursued other love interests. Officials also suggest that the murder was triggered by jealousy over Heartilly's new lover, recently deceased Irvine Kinneas. Authorities are still working towards the answer to that murder… In other news, the weather has been unusually dry for this month…"_

Zell turned the television off and scowled. So far, his week had been horrible. His boyfriend was in jail, his roommate still hadn't come home, and he was probably still endangered. The only thing working for him was the fact that he still had his job; he'd gone on leave for a week to get his things in order before returning. Squall's apartment needed to be sorted out, as he wouldn't be returning any time soon. Zell supposed he could work out with the landlord to just move into Squall's apartment and take care of it for him, but that would probably be too much work. So, the blond spent his few days off packing Squall's things and moving them into his own cramped apartment. What was a few more boxes and a few more degrees of heat? It wouldn't change anything.

--

Three days later, Zell's phone rang to alert him to the news that his roommate had been located. The body of Laguna Loire had been found washed up on the shore of the river, having been dead for what the coroner determined as a number of days.

Zell found himself glued to the news as the press released a new story, stating that Laguna's death had been murder, that is, Squall killed him, having happened days before Squall was put into prison. The news was considered scandal of the utmost importance; a popular author kills his father because of some rumor regarding Laguna's desire for his own son's ridiculous wealth. It was absurd, and it made Zell all the more angry. Each day he visited Squall, having small talk through the phones, staring at him through the glass, wishing that he could reach through to touch the brunet's face or his hair, which wasn't as shiny, his eyes not as lively.

Zell was slowly losing his nerve. His computers made him angry, his caffeine made him angry, his shoelaces made him angry, and his glasses made him angry. The young man had to take them off to avoid hurling them across the room when he went cross eyed from all the reading he tried to do to keep his mind off of his lover.

At the coffee shop the next morning, however, Selphie seemed to have something important to tell him as she urged him over to the small area near the bathroom where they wouldn't be heard.

"Zell, we have to talk to the police. Someone's got to know about the crime ring, Seifer, everything! Sir Laguna would have wanted that, Squall might get out of jail, you'll get him back, and you won't be in danger anymore!" Zell had noticed that since Squall's hearing, Selphie had stopped wearing her usual minimal makeup of shiny lip gloss and mascara to make her abnormally large emerald eyes even more large. Her eyes had lost that extra sparkle and she seemed to walk as if she had extra weight on her shoulders. She was carrying a burden of too much information, and she pleaded with him to help her out.

"Zell, please? Don't you think…Squall would want that?"  
"Selphie, I don't know if we can help Squall anymore," Zell said with a defeated voice.

Selphie smacked him on the shoulder with considerable force. "You dinkus, do you love him or not?!"

Zell winced and rubbed his shoulder while he blushed. "Yeah…"

"Then shouldn't we go talk to someone about all the stuff we know??"

Zell weighed their options. Why hadn't they thought of this before? Probably because no one would believe them…but still, too many people had died. Irvine, Rinoa, Laguna…Squall was in jail…

"Okay," Zell whispered, still uncertain. "Let's do it."

--

It had been hours, but Zell and Selphie finally got to speak with a detective, who contacted Quistis Trepe. She had decided to become unavailable for anything involving any of the clients of her previous case, and did not allow them to contact her further.

The detectives listened to Zell and Selphie, told them they'd look into it and get back to them.

"We'll be in touch," the detective said, escorting them out of the station. Selphie took Zell's arm as the blond looked at the pavement with a sigh. "We've done all we can, haven't we? Come on, let's go get some ice cream."

Zell looked over at his green-eyed friend and feigned the best smile he could muster. He had to admire her efforts. The girl was trying her hardest to keep him cheerful when that was certainly all he'd ever done for her in the past.

"…alright. But it's your treat," he said with a smile. Selphie smacked him on the shoulder but laughed and agreed as they continued down the street.

--

Quistis Trepe was having coffee with Seifer in a small café in downtown New York City when police officers knocked him to the ground and cuffed him, taking him away, shouting something about murder, assisted suicide, and something else she could make out. Standing to her feet, she followed after them as they dragged him away and caught up just as she heard the officer respond to Seifer's question of "Who do you think I killed?!"

"Xu Huang, Mr. Almasy. She was found dead in her apartment this morning."

--

It had taken hard work to make it look like suicide, Cid Kramer decided. Only a truly skilled person in the art of murder could really make someone look like they'd killed themselves when they in fact had done it for them.

It took two weeks before Zell heard anything back from the police. Zell was called in to be a witness at a trial for the prosecution of Seifer Almasy, accused of murder in the first degree and a number of other charges including conspiracy, and organized crime. Seifer Almasy was found guilty of the murder of Xu Huang, and given life in prison. Squall was not given a second chance. The police searched and searched and could find no reason that Seifer's company was related to Rinoa's murder, other than she'd been his employee. Zell figured it had been Xu's last act before she died, perhaps under Seifer's cold hand, that she erase all evidence relating their research that would lead them to Squall. Perhaps Seifer knew he would be caught soon, so he erased their tracks, ensuring Squall would go down with him. Oh, yes, if Seifer Almasy was going down, then Squall Leonhart would go down with him, and he would certainly not be getting back up again.

Eventually, Squall told Zell to stop visiting so often. He knew the young man could be off doing other things and enjoying his life. He told Zell to go get another job, or a hobby, or a girlfriend. Zell knew no one he wanted other than the man on the other end of the telephone through the glass.

But this answer was never good enough, for Squall would never leave his prison-hell. Suffice it to say, Zell had prepared himself for a life of waiting, wishing, of knowing in the back of his mind that he would never truly be happy again while Squall was within these walls. And it broke him. Slowly, it broke him. And to remain broken, he wanted, for while Squall was within the walls of the prison, there was no one else he wanted to pick up the pieces.

--

Death is an interesting thing. So is murder. Funny how the two can be so complicated and turn into a twisted web of lies when the smallest thing goes wrong. I found that out in the beginning of things, look at how I turned out!

My death spiraled into a crazy web of events that eventually equaled my ruining of two young men who were destined, I guess, for each other, really. No, I was never upset about Squall and Zell. I don't think I ever was. A little hurt, I suppose, but who isn't after a break up? Irvine came along shortly after Squall and I had our talk, so…it was okay. I was okay with them. I really didn't mind.

Irivne thought I should have, but then, I argued, if I had minded, wouldn't he be with someone else instead of me? He thought that was a good point I raised.

I suppose…that I should have gained a clue that one time Seifer called me. But I didn't. I could have called the cops, I could have done something. But I didn't, because I was stupid. Foolish, really. For all the horror movies I've seen, all the murder mysteries I've read, I had to know that if I had any semblance of a brain, I was going to die. Too bad I didn't act on my gut instinct and ended up killed. Squall didn't do it, you know.

I'm sure you knew that. He's been innocent the entire time. The only thing he's guilty of is falling in love with Zell, which isn't a crime, though it seems to be in some states.

Nevertheless, bad things happen to good people. A lot of us are dead…and a lot of us got what we didn't deserve. At least Seifer's also in jail, though it's a pity for him. Xu's dead, and Quistis will never talk to him again. A man like Seifer needed to realize what kind of fire he was playing with before it burned him, but he never got the chance before they handed him orange coveralls and a bar of soap for his new home in a jail cell with some fat guy named Joe.

Ah well. In the search for truth, unfortunately a lot of things get left out, more lies surface to cover it and in the long run, the simplest thing has gone horribly wrong. Unfortunately for Squall, I suppose I could say that the simplest thing that went horribly wrong was the day he decided to return my things to me. I was happy to see him…but neither of us knew it would be the attributing factor to his sentence.

Which…actually leads me to believe that the simple thing that went wrong was the day he met me.

We'll never really know how it would have played out, though, will we? For in the pursuit of things, a game of what-if really doesn't stand for anything anymore.

Well, I guess I've said my piece…Truthfully, I know that I, Rinoa Heartilly, stood up for the truth, even when no one else could. But when does anyone listen to a dead girl? You're right, no one does. And until that happens, Squall will remain in his cell, seeing Zell's face in the cement swirls on the ceiling, thinking about nothing until he finally goes mad or is let free for doing his time with good behavior.

I hate to say it because it's a sad existence, but…it's true. And there's nothing I can do about it from where I lay, six feet below ground.

--

The End.

Thank you SO much to all who've read this story. Keep an eye out for the horrible but humorous epilogue!


	8. Obligatory Lemon Chapter!

****

Framework

Sean wrote this for me. It is important that you know this. I may have come up with a few of the lines, but the sick brains behind this operation were from Sean, whom some of you readers know and love.

Oh. Rinoa's dead in the story, I know, but this 'lemon scene' was written anyway. Matt told me to cut her out of it, but I think it's better with her in it, so I left her there. You really think Squall, a self-respecting person as he is, would allow himself to get in to such a compromising situation with Rinny in the next room??

Epilogue

__

Squish... squish...

Rinoa sat in the lounge of Squall's posh SeeD apartment, an unread newspaper in her lap, her jaw nearly to the floor, one ear cocked towards the kitchen where Squall and Zell were 'working.' She could hear the squishing and dribbling noises, and could scarcely contain her excitement. It was the kind of scene girls dreamed of while they... well...

"Careful, Zell, don't squeeze too hard... aaahhh, that's it."

"I can't believe we're doing this."

"I know, isn't it great?"

__

Squish... squish... squish squish squish squishsquishsquishsquishsquishsquish-

It was getting faster. Rinoa held a hand to cover her mouth. Were they -

"Oh, you have to squeeze harder than that! Harder, Zell, harder!"

"I'm working as best I can, Squall -"

"No no! Not so fast, it's going to - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Uhm... oops... looks like it went everywhere. Here, hand me that towel, Squall."

"Here - looks like you got some on your face, let me get that."

"No no, leave it, I'll just lick it off - it tastes great."

Rinoa couldn't control herself any longer. She leapt off the couch and dashed into the kitchen to find Zell and Squall, passionately...

...drenched in lemonade, a pile of freshly squeezed lemons in front of them. Zell was wearing a ridiculous expression, licking eagerly at his own face, while Squall just put his palm to his forehead, sighing.

Rinoa promptly fainted.


End file.
